Prudential Financial, Inc. $PRU Stock Holdings Lessened by US Bancorp DE

Key Points

• US Bancorp DE cut its stake in Prudential by 17.0% in Q4, selling 21,084 shares and retaining 102,725 shares worth about $11.6M; institutional investors now own roughly 56.83% of PRU.
• Analyst sentiment has tilted negative—MarketBeat shows an average rating of "Reduce" with multiple price‑target cuts (BMO, UBS, Piper) and an average target of $101.75 (ten Holds, five Sells).
• Recent company developments: Q4 EPS missed by $0.07 at $3.30, the quarterly dividend was raised to $1.40 (about a 5.7% yield), and insiders purchased a modest 1,650 shares (~$168.8K) over the last three months.

US Bancorp DE lowered its stake in Prudential Financial, Inc. (NYSE:PRU - Free Report) by 17.0% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 102,725 shares of the financial services provider's stock after selling 21,084 shares during the period. US Bancorp DE's holdings in Prudential Financial were worth $11,596,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Sunflower Bank N.A. increased its holdings in shares of Prudential Financial by 3.2% in the fourth quarter. Sunflower Bank N.A. now owns 2,911 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $329,000 after buying an additional 91 shares in the last quarter. Wetzel Investment Advisors Inc. raised its stake in Prudential Financial by 0.9% during the 4th quarter. Wetzel Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 10,022 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $1,131,000 after purchasing an additional 94 shares during the period. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC raised its stake in Prudential Financial by 0.3% during the 3rd quarter. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC now owns 28,795 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $2,987,000 after purchasing an additional 97 shares during the period. Transcend Capital Advisors LLC raised its stake in Prudential Financial by 2.4% during the 4th quarter. Transcend Capital Advisors LLC now owns 4,175 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $471,000 after purchasing an additional 98 shares during the period. Finally, Mindset Wealth Management LLC raised its stake in Prudential Financial by 2.1% during the 3rd quarter. Mindset Wealth Management LLC now owns 4,781 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $496,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 56.83% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages have issued reports on PRU. BMO Capital Markets cut their target price on shares of Prudential Financial from $91.00 to $87.00 and set an "underperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, April 23rd. Evercore reissued a "negative" rating on shares of Prudential Financial in a research note on Friday, March 6th. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Prudential Financial from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday, January 10th. UBS Group lowered their price target on shares of Prudential Financial from $105.00 to $98.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, April 9th. Finally, Piper Sandler lowered their price target on shares of Prudential Financial from $105.00 to $99.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, April 22nd. Ten analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and five have assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Reduce" and an average target price of $101.75.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Prudential Financial news, EVP Jacques Chappuis acquired 1,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 6th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $100.97 per share, for a total transaction of $100,970.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the executive vice president owned 1,000 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $100,970. This trade represents a ∞ increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Thomas D. Stoddard acquired 250 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 17th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $102.97 per share, with a total value of $25,742.50. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director directly owned 250 shares of the company's stock, valued at $25,742.50. This represents a ∞ increase in their position. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Over the last three months, insiders acquired 1,650 shares of company stock worth $168,841. Corporate insiders own 0.05% of the company's stock.

Prudential Financial News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Prudential Financial this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts expect Q1 to show a higher net investment spread, favorable underwriting results and growth in fixed annuities — these operational beats would support earnings and margin improvement. What's in the Cards for Prudential Financial This Earnings Season?
• Neutral Sentiment: Pre‑earnings deep‑dive pieces highlight that analysts are watching metrics beyond revenue/EPS (net spread, NBP, annuity sales, underwriting trends). These previews set expectations but are not immediate catalysts until Q1 results arrive. Exploring Analyst Estimates for Prudential (PRU) Q1 Earnings
• Neutral Sentiment: Prudential appears in a list of high‑yield blue‑chip income names — inclusion may attract income‑focused investors but is not a near‑term earnings catalyst. 5 Quality Passive Income Blue-Chips That All Yield 5% and More Safely
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks Research downgraded PRU from "hold" to "strong sell" — a notable analyst downgrade that can pressure sentiment and lead some funds to reduce exposure. Zacks.com
• Negative Sentiment: Prudential warned of inflationary pressures in South Asia even as quarterly new business profit rose — this flags geographic margin risk that could weigh on future NBP and expense assumptions. Prudential flags inflation risks in South Asia

Prudential Financial Trading Up 0.6%

Prudential Financial stock opened at $98.71 on Friday. The company's fifty day simple moving average is $96.97 and its 200-day simple moving average is $104.59. The company has a quick ratio of 0.16, a current ratio of 0.16 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.58. Prudential Financial, Inc. has a 12 month low of $91.89 and a 12 month high of $119.76. The stock has a market cap of $34.33 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.87, a P/E/G ratio of 1.34 and a beta of 0.86.

Prudential Financial (NYSE:PRU - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 3rd. The financial services provider reported $3.30 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $3.37 by ($0.07). The company had revenue of $14.52 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $14.48 billion. Prudential Financial had a net margin of 6.20% and a return on equity of 16.32%. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $2.96 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Prudential Financial, Inc. will post 13.86 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Prudential Financial Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, March 12th. Investors of record on Tuesday, February 17th were issued a $1.40 dividend. This is a boost from Prudential Financial's previous quarterly dividend of $1.35. This represents a $5.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.7%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, February 17th. Prudential Financial's dividend payout ratio is currently 56.00%.

Prudential Financial Profile

Prudential Financial, Inc, headquartered in Newark, New Jersey, is a diversified financial services company with roots dating to 1875. The firm provides a range of insurance, retirement and investment products aimed at helping individual and institutional clients manage risk, accumulate and protect wealth, and plan for retirement. Prudential's long history in life insurance and related financial services has positioned it as a major participant in the U.S. insurance market and a provider of services to a broad client base.

Prudential's core business activities include individual life insurance, annuities, retirement solutions and group insurance products for employers.

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