Principal Financial Group Inc. Reduces Stake in Bristol Myers Squibb Company $BMY

Key Points

• Principal Financial Group trimmed its stake in Bristol Myers Squibb by 1.6% in Q4, selling 37,903 shares and retaining 2,321,799 shares (about 0.11% of the company) worth roughly $125.24 million.
• Analysts hold a consensus “Hold” rating with a $61.31 price target, though several firms (Wells Fargo, HSBC) recently raised targets to $60 and Wall Street Zen upgraded to a strong‑buy, reflecting mixed sentiment.
• BMY posted a Q1 earnings beat (EPS $1.58 vs. $1.42 expected) with $11.49B revenue, set FY2026 guidance of $6.05–$6.35 EPS, and pays a quarterly dividend yielding about 4.5%.

Principal Financial Group Inc. trimmed its position in shares of Bristol Myers Squibb Company (NYSE:BMY - Free Report) by 1.6% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 2,321,799 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock after selling 37,903 shares during the quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. owned approximately 0.11% of Bristol Myers Squibb worth $125,238,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Brighton Jones LLC increased its holdings in Bristol Myers Squibb by 33.4% during the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 19,728 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock valued at $1,116,000 after acquiring an additional 4,935 shares in the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC grew its position in shares of Bristol Myers Squibb by 59.4% in the second quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 7,477 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock valued at $346,000 after purchasing an additional 2,786 shares during the last quarter. United Bank increased its stake in shares of Bristol Myers Squibb by 15.0% during the 2nd quarter. United Bank now owns 25,148 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock worth $1,164,000 after purchasing an additional 3,277 shares in the last quarter. Marshall Wace LLP purchased a new position in shares of Bristol Myers Squibb during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $221,000. Finally, Nebula Research & Development LLC acquired a new position in shares of Bristol Myers Squibb during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $405,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 76.41% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages have commented on BMY. Wells Fargo & Company reiterated an "outperform" rating and set a $60.00 target price (up from $55.00) on shares of Bristol Myers Squibb in a report on Friday, February 6th. HSBC upped their price objective on Bristol Myers Squibb from $53.00 to $60.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 17th. Wall Street Zen raised Bristol Myers Squibb from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Sunday, April 19th. Weiss Ratings reissued a "hold (c)" rating on shares of Bristol Myers Squibb in a research note on Monday, March 23rd. Finally, Citigroup restated a "neutral" rating on shares of Bristol Myers Squibb in a report on Friday, May 1st. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, ten have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $61.31.

Key Headlines Impacting Bristol Myers Squibb

Here are the key news stories impacting Bristol Myers Squibb this week:

• Positive Sentiment: BMY is highlighted in a new national patient-focused "Won't Lose" marketing push ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup — a broad branding campaign that could support patient engagement and long-term franchise awareness. Bristol-Myers Squibb World Cup Push Meets Valuation And Earnings Questions
• Positive Sentiment: BMY is collaborating with BioNTech as that partner expands pivotal oncology trials — a development that underscores potential pipeline upside and future partnership-driven revenue opportunities. BioNTech Expands Oncology Trials And Reshapes Manufacturing As Investors Weigh Upside
• Positive Sentiment: Management will participate in the Bank of America Securities Healthcare Conference — an event where management can elaborate on FY2026 guidance, pipeline milestones and commercialization progress, which can reduce uncertainty for investors. Bristol Myers Squibb to Participate in the Bank of America Securities Healthcare Conference 2026
• Neutral Sentiment: Scotiabank maintained a Hold rating on BMY, signaling no near-term change in consensus analyst stance; this keeps pressure on upside until clearer catalysts arrive. Scotiabank Sticks to Their Hold Rating for Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMY)
• Negative Sentiment: Competitive risk in cardiology intensified: Cytokinetics’ Myqorzo posted trial success and is driving a commercial launch that lifted Q1 revenues — a clear win in an area where BMY’s Camzyos previously struggled, raising concerns about lost market opportunity. Cytokinetics heart drug scores in closely watched trial
• Negative Sentiment: Further negative pressure comes from coverage of Cytokinetics’ commercial momentum (Q1 revenues beat on Myqorzo launch) and analysis highlighting how that biotech succeeded where BMY’s product did not — a factor that can weigh on BMY’s growth outlook in that therapeutic market. CYTK Q1 Earnings Match Estimates, Revenues Beat on Myqorzo Launch

Insider Buying and Selling at Bristol Myers Squibb

In related news, EVP David V. Elkins sold 30,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, April 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $61.67, for a total value of $1,850,100.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 159,248 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $9,820,824.16. This trade represents a 15.85% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 0.05% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Bristol Myers Squibb Trading Down 0.7%

Shares of Bristol Myers Squibb stock opened at $56.56 on Thursday. Bristol Myers Squibb Company has a fifty-two week low of $42.52 and a fifty-two week high of $62.89. The business's fifty day moving average is $59.39 and its two-hundred day moving average is $54.82. The company has a quick ratio of 1.28, a current ratio of 1.42 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.10. The firm has a market cap of $115.49 billion, a PE ratio of 15.89, a P/E/G ratio of 0.16 and a beta of 0.26.

Bristol Myers Squibb (NYSE:BMY - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The biopharmaceutical company reported $1.58 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.42 by $0.16. Bristol Myers Squibb had a return on equity of 64.87% and a net margin of 15.01%.The business had revenue of $11.49 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $10.93 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.80 earnings per share. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 2.6% on a year-over-year basis. Bristol Myers Squibb has set its FY 2026 guidance at 6.050-6.350 EPS. Analysts anticipate that Bristol Myers Squibb Company will post 6.29 earnings per share for the current year.

Bristol Myers Squibb Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 1st. Stockholders of record on Thursday, April 2nd were issued a dividend of $0.63 per share. This represents a $2.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.5%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, April 2nd. Bristol Myers Squibb's dividend payout ratio is presently 70.79%.

Bristol Myers Squibb Company Profile

Bristol Myers Squibb is a global biopharmaceutical company headquartered in Princeton, New Jersey, focused on discovering, developing and delivering medicines for serious diseases. The company's core activities include research and development, clinical development, manufacturing and commercialization of prescription pharmaceuticals across multiple therapeutic areas. BMS concentrates on advancing therapies in oncology, hematology, immunology, cardiovascular disease and specialty areas through both small molecules and biologics.

BMS's marketed portfolio and late‑stage pipeline reflect a strong emphasis on cancer and immune‑mediated conditions.

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