UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC Raises Stock Holdings in Nasdaq, Inc. $NDAQ

Key Points

• UBS Asset Management increased its holdings in Nasdaq, Inc. by 7.1%, owning 3,981,130 shares valued at approximately $302 million as of the latest SEC filing.
• Analysts have raised their price targets for Nasdaq, with Deutsche Bank increasing its target from $97 to $105 and giving the stock a "buy" rating.
• Nasdaq recently announced a quarterly dividend of $0.27, which will result in an annualized payout of $1.08 per share and a yield of 1.1%.

UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC grew its holdings in shares of Nasdaq, Inc. (NASDAQ:NDAQ - Free Report) by 7.1% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 3,981,130 shares of the financial services provider's stock after acquiring an additional 262,661 shares during the period. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC owned about 0.69% of Nasdaq worth $302,009,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Captrust Financial Advisors increased its position in Nasdaq by 19.0% in the fourth quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors now owns 15,571 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $1,204,000 after buying an additional 2,481 shares in the last quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers grew its stake in shares of Nasdaq by 11.7% during the 4th quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 27,221 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $2,104,000 after acquiring an additional 2,844 shares during the period. Jefferies Financial Group Inc. increased its holdings in Nasdaq by 550.6% in the 4th quarter. Jefferies Financial Group Inc. now owns 30,761 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $2,378,000 after acquiring an additional 26,033 shares in the last quarter. Laird Norton Wetherby Wealth Management LLC raised its stake in Nasdaq by 1.0% during the 4th quarter. Laird Norton Wetherby Wealth Management LLC now owns 16,303 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $1,260,000 after acquiring an additional 157 shares during the period. Finally, OMERS ADMINISTRATION Corp lifted its holdings in Nasdaq by 25.4% during the fourth quarter. OMERS ADMINISTRATION Corp now owns 15,042 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $1,163,000 after purchasing an additional 3,043 shares in the last quarter. 72.47% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Jeremy Skule sold 2,105 shares of Nasdaq stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $95.49, for a total value of $201,006.45. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 92,551 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,837,694.99. The trade was a 2.22% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP Bradley J. Peterson sold 11,508 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, July 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $88.87, for a total value of $1,022,715.96. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 111,035 shares in the company, valued at approximately $9,867,680.45. This represents a 9.39% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 24,409 shares of company stock valued at $2,223,599 in the last ninety days. Insiders own 0.70% of the company's stock.

Nasdaq Price Performance

Nasdaq stock traded down $1.93 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $93.95. 2,947,784 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,459,310. Nasdaq, Inc. has a 12-month low of $64.84 and a 12-month high of $97.63. The company has a quick ratio of 0.96, a current ratio of 0.96 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.73. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $93.60 and a two-hundred day moving average of $84.18. The company has a market cap of $53.91 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 36.13, a PEG ratio of 2.10 and a beta of 1.02.

Nasdaq (NASDAQ:NDAQ - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 24th. The financial services provider reported $0.85 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.78 by $0.07. The business had revenue of $1.31 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.26 billion. Nasdaq had a net margin of 18.59% and a return on equity of 15.90%. The business's revenue was up 12.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company posted $0.69 EPS. Equities analysts forecast that Nasdaq, Inc. will post 3.18 earnings per share for the current year.

Nasdaq Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 26th. Shareholders of record on Friday, September 12th will be paid a dividend of $0.27 per share. This represents a $1.08 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, September 12th. Nasdaq's payout ratio is presently 41.54%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have recently commented on NDAQ shares. Raymond James Financial restated an "outperform" rating and set a $96.00 price objective (up from $84.00) on shares of Nasdaq in a research report on Wednesday, July 9th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised their price target on Nasdaq from $97.00 to $105.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, July 25th. Oppenheimer reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and issued a $101.00 price objective (up previously from $96.00) on shares of Nasdaq in a research note on Tuesday, July 15th. Royal Bank Of Canada lifted their target price on Nasdaq from $95.00 to $108.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Friday, July 25th. Finally, Citigroup reissued a "neutral" rating on shares of Nasdaq in a report on Wednesday, July 9th. Fourteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, Nasdaq currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $97.06.

About Nasdaq

Nasdaq, Inc operates as a technology company that serves capital markets and other industries worldwide. It operates in three segments: Capital Access Platforms, Financial Technology, and Market Services. The Capital Access Platforms segment sells and distributes historical and real-time market data; and develops and licenses Nasdaq-branded indices and financial products.