The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. $GS Shares Acquired by Stephens Inc. AR

Key Points

• Stephens Inc. AR boosted its Goldman Sachs stake by 11.7% in the fourth quarter, buying 7,995 more shares and bringing its total to 76,242 shares worth about $67.0 million.
• Goldman Sachs posted stronger-than-expected first-quarter results, with EPS of $17.55 and revenue of $17.23 billion, both above analyst estimates and up 14.4% year over year.
• Insider selling and mixed analyst sentiment continued around the stock, while Goldman also declared a quarterly dividend of $4.50 per share and currently carries a consensus “Hold” rating with a $942.24 average price target.

Stephens Inc. AR increased its position in shares of The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (NYSE:GS - Free Report) by 11.7% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 76,242 shares of the investment management company's stock after purchasing an additional 7,995 shares during the period. The Goldman Sachs Group accounts for about 0.8% of Stephens Inc. AR's investment portfolio, making the stock its 20th largest holding. Stephens Inc. AR's holdings in The Goldman Sachs Group were worth $67,017,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Acropolis Investment Management LLC raised its holdings in The Goldman Sachs Group by 1.8% during the fourth quarter. Acropolis Investment Management LLC now owns 630 shares of the investment management company's stock worth $554,000 after purchasing an additional 11 shares in the last quarter. Walkner Condon Financial Advisors LLC raised its holdings in The Goldman Sachs Group by 2.0% during the fourth quarter. Walkner Condon Financial Advisors LLC now owns 574 shares of the investment management company's stock worth $505,000 after purchasing an additional 11 shares in the last quarter. Optas LLC raised its holdings in The Goldman Sachs Group by 0.4% during the fourth quarter. Optas LLC now owns 2,553 shares of the investment management company's stock worth $2,244,000 after purchasing an additional 11 shares in the last quarter. Pines Wealth Management LLC raised its holdings in The Goldman Sachs Group by 0.4% during the fourth quarter. Pines Wealth Management LLC now owns 2,566 shares of the investment management company's stock worth $2,255,000 after purchasing an additional 11 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Terra Nova Asset Management LLC raised its holdings in The Goldman Sachs Group by 0.5% during the fourth quarter. Terra Nova Asset Management LLC now owns 2,650 shares of the investment management company's stock worth $2,329,000 after purchasing an additional 12 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 71.21% of the company's stock.

Insider Activity

In other news, insider Alex S. Golten sold 1,116 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, April 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $936.18, for a total transaction of $1,044,776.88. Following the sale, the insider owned 2,578 shares in the company, valued at $2,413,472.04. The trade was a 30.21% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, insider Kathryn H. Ruemmler sold 14,292 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $939.07, for a total transaction of $13,421,188.44. Following the sale, the insider owned 15,657 shares in the company, valued at $14,703,018.99. This represents a 47.72% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold 26,824 shares of company stock worth $25,062,242 over the last 90 days. 0.55% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Key Headlines Impacting The Goldman Sachs Group

Here are the key news stories impacting The Goldman Sachs Group this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Goldman Sachs lowered its 12-month U.S. recession probability to 25% from 30%, citing a resilient labor market and solid economic activity. That suggests a healthier macro backdrop for banks and markets overall. Goldman Slashes Recession Risk Odds as Labor Market Remains Resilient
• Neutral Sentiment: Goldman Sachs analysts remained active across several names, including Buy ratings on Telefonica, MercadoLibre, Insulet, Marathon Petroleum, UnitedHealth and ORIC Pharma, showing the firm continues to influence market sentiment but without direct impact on GS itself.
• Neutral Sentiment: There were also multiple media references to Goldman strategists warning that the recent market rally and volatility setup could imply more upside, but those commentary pieces were market-wide in nature and not specific to Goldman Sachs stock.
• Negative Sentiment: Financial stocks were weaker in afternoon trading, with the NYSE Financial Index down about 0.5%, which likely pressured Goldman Sachs shares along with the broader sector. Sector Update: Financial Stocks Lower in Afternoon Trading

The Goldman Sachs Group Stock Down 2.0%

NYSE GS opened at $949.89 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.89, a current ratio of 0.63 and a quick ratio of 0.63. The company's 50 day simple moving average is $878.61 and its 200 day simple moving average is $878.32. The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. has a 12 month low of $582.50 and a 12 month high of $984.70. The company has a market capitalization of $280.23 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.36, a PEG ratio of 1.25 and a beta of 1.28.

The Goldman Sachs Group (NYSE:GS - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Monday, April 13th. The investment management company reported $17.55 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $15.92 by $1.63. The Goldman Sachs Group had a net margin of 14.13% and a return on equity of 16.53%. The business had revenue of $17.23 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $16.66 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $14.12 EPS. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 14.4% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts expect that The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. will post 59.53 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The Goldman Sachs Group Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 29th. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 1st will be issued a dividend of $4.50 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, June 1st. This represents a $18.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.9%. The Goldman Sachs Group's payout ratio is currently 32.89%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

GS has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Evercore dropped their target price on The Goldman Sachs Group from $1,075.00 to $950.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a report on Monday, April 6th. Weiss Ratings cut The Goldman Sachs Group from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a report on Friday, May 8th. Morgan Stanley dropped their target price on shares of The Goldman Sachs Group from $1,078.00 to $1,021.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, March 31st. Jefferies Financial Group dropped their target price on shares of The Goldman Sachs Group from $1,125.00 to $1,049.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Monday, April 6th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated a "neutral" rating on shares of The Goldman Sachs Group in a report on Monday, April 13th. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and fourteen have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $942.24.

About The Goldman Sachs Group

The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc is a global investment banking and financial services firm headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1869 as a commercial paper business, the company has grown into a diversified financial institution that provides a broad range of services to corporations, financial institutions, governments and individuals. The firm is led by Chief Executive Officer David M. Solomon and operates across major financial centers worldwide.

Goldman Sachs' core businesses include investment banking, global markets, asset and wealth management, and consumer banking.

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