Franklin Resources Inc. Grows Stake in ING Groep (NYSE:ING)

Franklin Resources Inc. grew its position in shares of ING Groep (NYSE:ING - Free Report) by 88.3% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 290,796 shares of the financial services provider's stock after acquiring an additional 136,342 shares during the quarter. Franklin Resources Inc.'s holdings in ING Groep were worth $4,557,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of ING. Roxbury Financial LLC bought a new stake in ING Groep during the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. Brooklyn Investment Group increased its position in shares of ING Groep by 184.8% during the fourth quarter. Brooklyn Investment Group now owns 1,860 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 1,207 shares in the last quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc acquired a new stake in shares of ING Groep in the 4th quarter worth about $45,000. IFP Advisors Inc boosted its stake in ING Groep by 25.1% during the 4th quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 3,095 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $48,000 after purchasing an additional 621 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Whipplewood Advisors LLC bought a new stake in ING Groep during the 4th quarter worth approximately $55,000. 4.49% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

ING Groep Stock Performance

Shares of ING traded up $0.24 on Wednesday, reaching $18.78. 707,811 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,331,650. The stock has a market cap of $65.68 billion, a PE ratio of 8.76, a PEG ratio of 6.42 and a beta of 1.07. ING Groep has a 52-week low of $15.09 and a 52-week high of $20.79. The company has a current ratio of 1.13, a quick ratio of 1.13 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.89. The stock's 50 day simple moving average is $18.52 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $17.04.

ING Groep (NYSE:ING - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The financial services provider reported $0.39 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.41 by ($0.02). ING Groep had a net margin of 28.30% and a return on equity of 11.81%. On average, analysts forecast that ING Groep will post 2.14 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

ING Groep Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a semi-annual dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 9th. Investors of record on Friday, April 25th will be given a $0.6526 dividend. This represents a dividend yield of 5.1%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, April 25th. This is an increase from ING Groep's previous semi-annual dividend of $0.17. ING Groep's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 60.75%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Separately, The Goldman Sachs Group upgraded ING Groep from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, March 27th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, one has given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, ING Groep presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy".

ING Groep Profile

ING Groep N.V. provides various banking products and services in the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, rest of Europe, and internationally. It operates through five segments: Retail Netherlands, Retail Belgium, Retail Germany, Retail Other, and Wholesale Banking. The company accepts current and savings accounts.