Hsbc Holdings PLC Buys 3,119 Shares of Primerica, Inc. (NYSE:PRI)

Hsbc Holdings PLC lifted its holdings in shares of Primerica, Inc. (NYSE:PRI - Free Report) by 272.2% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 4,265 shares of the financial services provider's stock after acquiring an additional 3,119 shares during the period. Hsbc Holdings PLC's holdings in Primerica were worth $1,155,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Barclays PLC boosted its stake in shares of Primerica by 108.1% in the 3rd quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 20,471 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $5,428,000 after purchasing an additional 10,635 shares in the last quarter. Sylvest Advisors LLC bought a new position in Primerica in the fourth quarter valued at about $543,000. Oak Thistle LLC lifted its position in shares of Primerica by 64.9% during the 4th quarter. Oak Thistle LLC now owns 4,936 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $1,340,000 after buying an additional 1,943 shares in the last quarter. California Public Employees Retirement System grew its holdings in Primerica by 59.4% during the 4th quarter. California Public Employees Retirement System now owns 111,720 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $30,323,000 after buying an additional 41,612 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Los Angeles Capital Management LLC lifted its position in Primerica by 10.7% during the fourth quarter. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC now owns 120,011 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $32,573,000 after purchasing an additional 11,612 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 90.88% of the company's stock.

Primerica Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE PRI traded down $2.40 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $269.60. The company had a trading volume of 25,294 shares, compared to its average volume of 156,783. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $270.02 and a two-hundred day moving average of $280.21. The company has a market capitalization of $8.92 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.61 and a beta of 1.02. Primerica, Inc. has a 12-month low of $217.56 and a 12-month high of $307.91.

Primerica (NYSE:PRI - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 7th. The financial services provider reported $5.02 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.77 by $0.25. Primerica had a return on equity of 31.11% and a net margin of 15.14%. The company had revenue of $803.56 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $783.54 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $3.91 EPS. The firm's revenue was up 8.3% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts forecast that Primerica, Inc. will post 20.6 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Primerica Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 13th. Investors of record on Thursday, May 22nd will be given a $1.04 dividend. This represents a $4.16 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.54%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, May 22nd. Primerica's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 30.25%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have commented on the stock. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods cut their target price on shares of Primerica from $320.00 to $315.00 and set a "market perform" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, April 9th. BMO Capital Markets assumed coverage on Primerica in a report on Thursday, January 23rd. They set a "market perform" rating and a $311.00 target price on the stock. Morgan Stanley dropped their target price on shares of Primerica from $313.00 to $304.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a report on Friday, February 28th. Finally, StockNews.com lowered Primerica from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Friday, February 7th. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $309.14.

Insider Activity

In other Primerica news, CEO Glenn J. Williams sold 3,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $281.74, for a total transaction of $845,220.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 33,322 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $9,388,140.28. This represents a 8.26 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, insider Nicholas Adam Jendusa sold 234 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $280.15, for a total value of $65,555.10. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 200 shares in the company, valued at approximately $56,030. This trade represents a 53.92 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 5,234 shares of company stock worth $1,476,575. Corporate insiders own 0.61% of the company's stock.

Primerica Profile

Primerica, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, provides financial products and services to middle-income households in the United States and Canada. The company operates in four segments: Term Life Insurance; Investment and Savings Products; Senior Health; and Corporate and Other Distributed Products.