H&R Block (NYSE:HRB) Stock: Insider Mark Darling Sells 2,700 Shares

Key Points

• Insider sale: Mark Darling sold 2,700 H&R Block shares for approximately $109,863, reducing his direct stake by 11.12% to 21,588 shares.
• Financial performance: H&R Block beat quarterly earnings and revenue estimates, reporting $2.38 in EPS and $1.14 billion in revenue. Analysts expect approximately $6.11 in EPS for the current fiscal year.
• Dividend and outlook: The company raised its quarterly dividend from $0.42 to $0.46 per share, equating to a 4.4% annual yield. Analysts have a consensus “Hold” rating and an average price target of $46.67.

H&R Block, Inc. (NYSE:HRB - Get Free Report) insider Mark Darling sold 2,700 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, September 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $40.69, for a total transaction of $109,863.00. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 21,588 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $878,415.72. This represents a 11.12% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website.

H&R Block Stock Performance

NYSE HRB traded down $0.63 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $41.69. The company's stock had a trading volume of 1,712,409 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,352,501. The company has a current ratio of 1.13, a quick ratio of 1.13 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 12.69. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $47.19 and a 200 day simple moving average of $39.59. H&R Block, Inc. has a 52 week low of $28.16 and a 52 week high of $58.67. The stock has a market cap of $5.11 billion, a PE ratio of 7.29, a PEG ratio of 0.53 and a beta of 0.38.

H&R Block (NYSE:HRB - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, August 11th. The company reported $2.38 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.21 by $0.17. The company had revenue of $1.14 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.12 billion. H&R Block had a negative return on equity of 214.84% and a net margin of 18.59%.H&R Block's quarterly revenue was up 255.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $2.27 earnings per share. H&R Block has set its FY 2027 guidance at 6.040-6.240 EPS. Equities research analysts predict that H&R Block, Inc. will post 6.11 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

H&R Block Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, October 6th. Investors of record on Thursday, September 3rd will be paid a dividend of $0.46 per share. This represents a $1.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.4%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, September 3rd. This is an increase from H&R Block's previous quarterly dividend of $0.42. H&R Block's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 32.17%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Versant Capital Management Inc increased its holdings in shares of H&R Block by 86.2% during the third quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 3,879 shares of the company's stock valued at $158,000 after purchasing an additional 1,796 shares during the period. Cygnus Capital Advisors LLC bought a new position in H&R Block in the 2nd quarter valued at about $1,853,000. Syon Capital LLC bought a new position in H&R Block in the 2nd quarter valued at about $382,000. Archer Investment Corp acquired a new position in H&R Block during the 2nd quarter valued at about $621,000. Finally, Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio acquired a new position in H&R Block during the 2nd quarter valued at about $1,460,000. Institutional investors own 90.14% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on HRB shares. Barrington Research raised their target price on H&R Block from $50.00 to $60.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 12th. Zacks Research lowered shares of H&R Block from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday, July 27th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "hold (c)" rating on shares of H&R Block in a report on Tuesday. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price objective on shares of H&R Block from $29.00 to $33.00 and gave the company a "sell" rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 12th. Finally, Stephens began coverage on shares of H&R Block in a research note on Tuesday, July 28th. They set an "equal weight" rating and a $47.00 target price for the company. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, H&R Block presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $46.67.

About H&R Block

H&R Block, Inc is a tax preparation and financial services company that helps individuals and small businesses manage tax filing and related financial needs. Its services are delivered through company-owned and franchise offices, online platforms and tax-preparation software, providing both assisted and do-it-yourself filing options.

The company offers federal, state and local tax preparation, tax planning and related support, along with products and services such as refund-related financial solutions, tax identity protection and small-business assistance.

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