Principal Financial Group Inc. Raises Holdings in Birkenstock Holding PLC $BIRK

Key Points

• Principal Financial Group increased its Birkenstock stake by 22.5% in the fourth quarter, buying an additional 170,034 shares. It now owns 925,061 shares, worth about $37.8 million, or roughly 0.50% of the company.
• Several other institutional investors also boosted their positions, including Royal Bank of Canada, AQR Capital Management, NewEdge Advisors, and Goldman Sachs. In total, institutional investors and hedge funds own about 19.93% of Birkenstock shares.
• Analysts remain generally positive on the stock, with 16 Buy ratings and 3 Hold ratings and a consensus target price of $59.71. Despite some target cuts, the overall rating from MarketBeat is still Moderate Buy.

Principal Financial Group Inc. grew its position in shares of Birkenstock Holding PLC (NYSE:BIRK - Free Report) by 22.5% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 925,061 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 170,034 shares during the period. Principal Financial Group Inc. owned approximately 0.50% of Birkenstock worth $37,835,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Royal Bank of Canada raised its stake in shares of Birkenstock by 310.5% in the first quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 15,820 shares of the company's stock valued at $725,000 after acquiring an additional 11,966 shares in the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Birkenstock by 53.1% in the first quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 14,954 shares of the company's stock valued at $686,000 after acquiring an additional 5,189 shares in the last quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Birkenstock by 61.0% in the first quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 1,288 shares of the company's stock valued at $59,000 after acquiring an additional 488 shares in the last quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. raised its stake in shares of Birkenstock by 27.8% in the first quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 1,074,283 shares of the company's stock valued at $49,256,000 after acquiring an additional 233,672 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Creative Planning acquired a new stake in shares of Birkenstock in the second quarter valued at $371,000. 19.93% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Birkenstock Stock Performance

Shares of BIRK stock opened at $39.39 on Friday. The stock's 50-day moving average is $37.90 and its two-hundred day moving average is $39.99. The firm has a market cap of $7.24 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.25, a PEG ratio of 1.50 and a beta of 1.15. Birkenstock Holding PLC has a 1 year low of $33.06 and a 1 year high of $59.50. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.46, a quick ratio of 1.04 and a current ratio of 3.13.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages have recently issued reports on BIRK. Piper Sandler reiterated an "overweight" rating and issued a $55.00 price objective (down from $60.00) on shares of Birkenstock in a research note on Monday, April 27th. BTIG Research reissued a "buy" rating and issued a $65.00 target price on shares of Birkenstock in a report on Thursday, January 29th. Telsey Advisory Group reissued an "outperform" rating and issued a $60.00 target price on shares of Birkenstock in a report on Thursday, February 12th. New Street Research set a $47.00 target price on Birkenstock in a report on Tuesday, January 27th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein dropped their target price on Birkenstock from $55.00 to $50.00 and set a "market perform" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, January 15th. Sixteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $59.71.

Birkenstock Profile

Birkenstock Group AG, listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol BIRK, is a global footwear manufacturer renowned for its anatomically contoured footbeds and iconic sandal designs. The company’s core product lines include classic models such as the Arizona, Boston and Madrid, alongside a range of clogs, shoes and orthotic insoles. In addition to footwear, Birkenstock offers complementary accessories, including socks and leather care products, reinforcing its commitment to foot health and comfort.

Birkenstock reaches consumers through a diversified distribution network that combines direct-to-consumer channels—such as branded retail stores and e-commerce platforms—with wholesale partnerships spanning specialty footwear retailers, department stores and select online marketplaces.

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