VeriSign, Inc. $VRSN Shares Acquired by UBS Group AG

Key Points

• UBS Group AG increased its stake in VeriSign by 191.6% in Q4, owning 626,570 shares (about 0.68% of the company) valued at roughly $152.2 million.
• VeriSign beat estimates for the most recent quarter with $2.34 EPS vs. $2.30 expected and revenue of $428.9 million (up 6.6% year-over-year), and posted a net margin near 49.95%.
• The company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.81 per share (annualized $3.24, ~1.2% yield), payable May 27 with a record and ex-dividend date of May 19.

UBS Group AG grew its stake in VeriSign, Inc. (NASDAQ:VRSN - Free Report) by 191.6% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 626,570 shares of the information services provider's stock after buying an additional 411,728 shares during the period. UBS Group AG owned 0.68% of VeriSign worth $152,225,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also modified their holdings of VRSN. Salomon & Ludwin LLC boosted its holdings in shares of VeriSign by 112.5% in the 3rd quarter. Salomon & Ludwin LLC now owns 102 shares of the information services provider's stock valued at $28,000 after buying an additional 54 shares in the last quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of VeriSign in the 3rd quarter valued at $29,000. Sunbelt Securities Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of VeriSign by 429.2% in the 3rd quarter. Sunbelt Securities Inc. now owns 127 shares of the information services provider's stock valued at $36,000 after buying an additional 103 shares in the last quarter. Board of the Pension Protection Fund acquired a new position in shares of VeriSign in the 4th quarter valued at $39,000. Finally, Bruce G. Allen Investments LLC boosted its holdings in shares of VeriSign by 51.5% in the 3rd quarter. Bruce G. Allen Investments LLC now owns 147 shares of the information services provider's stock valued at $41,000 after buying an additional 50 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.90% of the company's stock.

VeriSign Stock Performance

VRSN stock opened at $268.66 on Friday. The company has a fifty day moving average of $250.83 and a 200-day moving average of $247.05. The stock has a market capitalization of $24.45 billion, a PE ratio of 29.69 and a beta of 0.70. VeriSign, Inc. has a one year low of $208.86 and a one year high of $310.60.

VeriSign (NASDAQ:VRSN - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 23rd. The information services provider reported $2.34 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.30 by $0.04. The business had revenue of $428.90 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $424.50 million. VeriSign had a net margin of 49.95% and a negative return on equity of 39.98%. The business's revenue was up 6.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $2.10 EPS. Equities analysts forecast that VeriSign, Inc. will post 9.46 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

VeriSign Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, May 27th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, May 19th will be issued a $0.81 dividend. This represents a $3.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.2%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, May 19th. VeriSign's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 35.80%.

Insider Transactions at VeriSign

In other news, EVP Thomas C. Indelicarto sold 498 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $249.08, for a total value of $124,041.84. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 30,115 shares in the company, valued at $7,501,044.20. This trade represents a 1.63% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Danny R. Mcpherson sold 5,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, April 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $271.02, for a total transaction of $1,355,100.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 35,195 shares of the company's stock, valued at $9,538,548.90. This trade represents a 12.44% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold a total of 7,490 shares of company stock valued at $1,981,790 in the last quarter. Insiders own 0.56% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Zacks Research upgraded shares of VeriSign from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, February 9th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on shares of VeriSign from $273.00 to $278.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Friday, April 24th. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of VeriSign from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a research note on Friday, March 27th. Robert W. Baird increased their price target on shares of VeriSign from $305.00 to $355.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Friday, April 24th. Finally, Citigroup increased their price target on shares of VeriSign from $295.00 to $320.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, April 24th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $317.67.

VeriSign Profile

VeriSign, Inc NASDAQ: VRSN is an internet infrastructure company that operates critical components of the global Domain Name System (DNS) and provides cybersecurity-related services. The company is best known as the authoritative registry operator for the .com and .net top-level domains, maintaining the central databases and zone files that enable domain name resolution for millions of websites. VeriSign's registry role is performed under contractual agreements with Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) and involves high-availability, highly secure operations to support continuous internet connectivity.

In addition to its registry business, VeriSign offers a suite of services designed to protect and accelerate DNS and internet traffic for enterprises and service providers.

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