Principal Financial Group, Inc. $PFG Shares Sold by Bank of Nova Scotia

Bank of Nova Scotia trimmed its position in Principal Financial Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:PFG - Free Report) by 56.5% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 32,607 shares of the company's stock after selling 42,291 shares during the quarter. Bank of Nova Scotia's holdings in Principal Financial Group were worth $2,938,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. DV Equities LLC purchased a new position in Principal Financial Group in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Hilton Head Capital Partners LLC acquired a new position in Principal Financial Group during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. purchased a new stake in Principal Financial Group during the fourth quarter worth approximately $26,000. Valley Wealth Managers Inc. purchased a new stake in Principal Financial Group during the first quarter worth approximately $27,000. Finally, MBM Wealth Consultants LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Principal Financial Group in the first quarter worth $28,000. 75.08% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Principal Financial Group Stock Performance

Shares of PFG stock opened at $114.09 on Wednesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $24.64 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.21, a PEG ratio of 1.07 and a beta of 0.88. Principal Financial Group, Inc. has a one year low of $75.00 and a one year high of $114.90. The company's 50-day simple moving average is $108.57 and its 200-day simple moving average is $98.73. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33, a quick ratio of 0.27 and a current ratio of 0.27.

Principal Financial Group (NASDAQ:PFG - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Monday, July 27th. The company reported $2.50 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.33 by $0.17. Principal Financial Group had a return on equity of 16.61% and a net margin of 9.93%.The firm had revenue of $3.99 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.11 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $2.16 earnings per share. Equities analysts anticipate that Principal Financial Group, Inc. will post 9.45 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Principal Financial Group Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 25th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, September 3rd will be given a $0.84 dividend. This represents a $3.36 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.9%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, September 3rd. This is a positive change from Principal Financial Group's previous quarterly dividend of $0.82. Principal Financial Group's payout ratio is 46.92%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Principal Financial Group

In other news, insider Wee Yee Cheong sold 7,534 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $103.16, for a total value of $777,207.44. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 66,443 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,854,259.88. The trade was a 10.18% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 24,666 shares of company stock valued at $2,516,588. 1.13% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Key Principal Financial Group News

Here are the key news stories impacting Principal Financial Group this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Earnings beat expectations: PFG reported second-quarter non-GAAP operating earnings of $2.50 per share, above the $2.33 consensus estimate and up from $2.16 a year earlier. Results were supported by stronger underwriting revenue, higher overall revenue and margin expansion. PFG Q2 Earnings Beat on Solid Underwriting, Revenues Rise Year Over Year
• Positive Sentiment: Healthy operating results highlighted: The company reported $547 million in non-GAAP operating earnings and $535 million in non-GAAP net income excluding exited businesses. Management’s earnings call emphasized strong earnings growth and operating momentum. Principal Financial Group Q2 2026 Earnings Call Highlights
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend increased: PFG raised its quarterly dividend to $0.84 per share from $0.82, a 2.4% increase. The dividend carries an annualized yield of approximately 3%, reinforcing the stock’s income appeal. Principal Financial Group Raises Income Appeal
• Neutral Sentiment: Revenue slightly missed forecasts: Quarterly revenue was $3.99 billion, below the $4.11 billion consensus estimate, though the earnings beat and improved profitability outweighed the shortfall for investors.
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst remains cautious: Bank of America raised its price target from $94 to $104 but kept an “underperform” rating, implying potential downside from recent trading levels. Bank of America Price Target Update

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on PFG shares. Atlantic Securities set a $94.00 target price on shares of Principal Financial Group in a research note on Wednesday, July 15th. Jefferies Financial Group increased their price target on Principal Financial Group from $91.00 to $98.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a report on Friday, July 10th. Weiss Ratings lowered Principal Financial Group from a "buy (b)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Piper Sandler boosted their price objective on Principal Financial Group from $113.00 to $125.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, June 24th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods boosted their price objective on Principal Financial Group from $102.00 to $112.00 and gave the stock a "market perform" rating in a research note on Monday, July 13th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have given a Hold rating and three have issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $105.75.

Principal Financial Group Profile

Principal Financial Group NASDAQ: PFG is a global financial services company headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa, that provides a range of retirement, investment and insurance solutions to individuals, employers and institutional clients. The firm's business is organized around retirement services, asset management, and insurance products designed to help clients plan, invest for, and protect income over the long term.

Principal's product and service offerings include retirement plan recordkeeping and administration for employer-sponsored plans, individual and group retirement annuities, life and disability insurance, employee benefits solutions, and wealth management services.

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