Vanguard Group Inc. Sells 345,952 Shares of H&R Block, Inc. $HRB

Key Points

• Vanguard Group reduced its H&R Block stake by 2.5%, selling 345,952 shares and now holds 13,313,823 shares (about 10.53%) valued at roughly $580.2 million.
• H&R Block beat quarterly EPS estimates (loss of $1.84 vs. -$1.96) with revenue up 11.1%, its stock trades near $31.10 (52‑week range $28.16–$64.62), and it announced a $0.42 quarterly dividend (annual yield ~5.4%).
• Institutional ownership is high (~90.1%), and analyst views are mixed—a consensus "Hold" with a $41 target, though Goldman Sachs recently cut its target to $32 and rated the stock "sell."

Vanguard Group Inc. reduced its holdings in H&R Block, Inc. (NYSE:HRB - Free Report) by 2.5% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 13,313,823 shares of the company's stock after selling 345,952 shares during the quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. owned 10.53% of H&R Block worth $580,216,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in HRB. Clearstead Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of H&R Block by 134.4% in the 3rd quarter. Clearstead Advisors LLC now owns 511 shares of the company's stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 293 shares in the last quarter. Quent Capital LLC purchased a new position in shares of H&R Block in the 3rd quarter worth about $27,000. Abound Wealth Management boosted its holdings in shares of H&R Block by 208.0% in the 4th quarter. Abound Wealth Management now owns 616 shares of the company's stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 416 shares in the last quarter. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC purchased a new position in shares of H&R Block in the 4th quarter worth about $33,000. Finally, Valley National Advisers Inc. purchased a new position in shares of H&R Block in the 4th quarter worth about $34,000. 90.14% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

H&R Block Stock Performance

NYSE HRB opened at $31.10 on Tuesday. H&R Block, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $28.16 and a fifty-two week high of $64.62. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $31.18 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $38.76. The stock has a market cap of $3.94 billion, a P/E ratio of 7.18, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.50 and a beta of 0.29.

H&R Block (NYSE:HRB - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 3rd. The company reported ($1.84) earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($1.96) by $0.12. H&R Block had a negative return on equity of 176.02% and a net margin of 16.19%.The business had revenue of $198.87 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $187.36 million. During the same quarter last year, the business posted ($1.73) EPS. The business's revenue was up 11.1% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts predict that H&R Block, Inc. will post 4.98 earnings per share for the current year.

H&R Block Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, July 7th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, June 3rd will be issued a $0.42 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, June 3rd. This represents a $1.68 annualized dividend and a yield of 5.4%. H&R Block's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 38.80%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

HRB has been the subject of a number of research reports. The Goldman Sachs Group cut their price objective on H&R Block from $48.00 to $32.00 and set a "sell" rating for the company in a report on Friday, February 6th. Weiss Ratings upgraded H&R Block from a "sell (d+)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a report on Tuesday, February 17th. Finally, Barrington Research restated an "outperform" rating and set a $50.00 target price on shares of H&R Block in a report on Monday, April 27th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, H&R Block has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $41.00.

About H&R Block

H&R Block NYSE: HRB is a leading provider of tax preparation services and software solutions, serving individual and small-business clients through a combination of retail offices, online platforms and mobile applications. The company offers assisted tax preparation at its network of retail offices, where clients work with trained tax professionals, as well as do-it-yourself (DIY) software and online filing services designed to guide users through the complexities of federal and state tax returns.

Founded in 1955 by brothers Henry W.

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