Vanguard Group Inc. Sells 216,391 Shares of Signet Jewelers Limited $SIG

Key Points

• Vanguard Group sold 216,391 shares in Q4, trimming its stake to 4,799,639 shares (about 11.8% of Signet) valued at roughly $397.8 million.
• Signet raised its quarterly dividend to $0.35 (annualized $1.40, yield 1.6%), with an ex-dividend date of April 24 and payment on May 22.
• Signet reported EPS of $6.25 versus $6.11 expected and revenue down 0.3% year-over-year, while analysts carry a consensus "Moderate Buy" rating and an average target price of $116.

Vanguard Group Inc. lessened its holdings in shares of Signet Jewelers Limited (NYSE:SIG - Free Report) by 4.3% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 4,799,639 shares of the company's stock after selling 216,391 shares during the quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. owned about 11.80% of Signet Jewelers worth $397,794,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors have also recently modified their holdings of SIG. Richardson Financial Services Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Signet Jewelers during the 4th quarter valued at about $31,000. Farther Finance Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Signet Jewelers by 48.6% during the 4th quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 379 shares of the company's stock valued at $31,000 after acquiring an additional 124 shares during the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Signet Jewelers by 171.2% during the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 678 shares of the company's stock valued at $54,000 after acquiring an additional 428 shares during the last quarter. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd bought a new stake in shares of Signet Jewelers during the 3rd quarter valued at about $64,000. Finally, State of Wyoming bought a new stake in shares of Signet Jewelers during the 2nd quarter valued at about $69,000.

Signet Jewelers Stock Performance

Shares of SIG stock opened at $87.69 on Thursday. Signet Jewelers Limited has a fifty-two week low of $61.50 and a fifty-two week high of $110.20. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $89.76 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $92.10. The company has a market capitalization of $3.51 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.30, a PEG ratio of 0.95 and a beta of 1.20.

Signet Jewelers (NYSE:SIG - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, March 19th. The company reported $6.25 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $6.11 by $0.14. Signet Jewelers had a return on equity of 22.22% and a net margin of 4.32%.The firm had revenue of ($4,468.50) million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.33 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $6.62 earnings per share. The business's revenue was down .3% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts predict that Signet Jewelers Limited will post 10.3 earnings per share for the current year.

Signet Jewelers Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 22nd. Stockholders of record on Friday, April 24th will be paid a dividend of $0.35 per share. This represents a $1.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.6%. This is a boost from Signet Jewelers's previous quarterly dividend of $0.32. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, April 24th. Signet Jewelers's payout ratio is presently 17.95%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

SIG has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. UBS Group boosted their target price on Signet Jewelers from $118.00 to $126.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, March 20th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on Signet Jewelers from $90.00 to $100.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Friday, March 20th. Royal Bank Of Canada upgraded Signet Jewelers to a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday, March 30th. Zacks Research downgraded Signet Jewelers from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 17th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group restated a "buy" rating on shares of Signet Jewelers in a research report on Monday, March 9th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have issued a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $116.00.

Signet Jewelers Company Profile

Signet Jewelers Ltd is the world's largest retailer of diamond jewelry, operating a diversified network of retail stores across the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Ireland. Its portfolio includes well-established banners such as Kay Jewelers, Zales, Jared The Galleria of Jewelry, H.Samuel, Ernest Jones, Peoples and Piercing Pagoda, offering customers a range of shopping environments from suburban malls to high-street locations.

The company's product assortment encompasses engagement rings, wedding bands, fine fashion jewelry and timepieces, complemented by services including jewelry cleaning, repairs, appraisals and extended care plans.

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