Charles Schwab (NYSE:SCHW) Stock Price Up 0.3% After Dividend Announcement

The Charles Schwab Co. (NYSE:SCHW - Get Free Report)'s share price traded up 0.3% on Wednesday after the company announced a dividend. The stock traded as high as $75.49 and last traded at $75.43. 1,134,128 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 85% from the average session volume of 7,712,198 shares. The stock had previously closed at $75.23.

The newly announced dividend which will be paid on Friday, May 24th. Investors of record on Friday, May 10th will be given a dividend of $0.25 per share. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.33%. Charles Schwab's payout ratio is presently 41.84%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Charles Schwab from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday, March 15th. JMP Securities restated a "market outperform" rating and set a $80.00 price objective on shares of Charles Schwab in a report on Tuesday, April 16th. Raymond James lowered their price objective on shares of Charles Schwab from $78.00 to $75.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, January 18th. Barclays upped their price objective on shares of Charles Schwab from $74.00 to $75.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Tuesday, April 16th. Finally, Morgan Stanley upped their price objective on shares of Charles Schwab from $65.00 to $71.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Tuesday, April 9th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have assigned a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $74.47.

Charles Schwab Stock Performance

The stock has a market cap of $133.56 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.46, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.09 and a beta of 1.01. The company's 50 day moving average price is $69.27 and its 200-day moving average price is $63.60. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.82, a quick ratio of 0.43 and a current ratio of 0.43.

Insider Activity at Charles Schwab

In related news, Chairman Charles R. Schwab sold 89,275 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, April 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $74.62, for a total transaction of $6,661,700.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the chairman now owns 30,641,981 shares in the company, valued at $2,286,504,622.22. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this link. In other Charles Schwab news, CFO Peter B. Crawford sold 8,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $64.76, for a total transaction of $518,080.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 29,611 shares in the company, valued at $1,917,608.36. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Chairman Charles R. Schwab sold 89,275 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, April 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $74.62, for a total transaction of $6,661,700.50. Following the transaction, the chairman now owns 30,641,981 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,286,504,622.22. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 389,167 shares of company stock worth $26,987,035. 6.60% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Charles Schwab

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Providence Capital Advisors LLC bought a new position in Charles Schwab during the third quarter worth about $28,000. Sugarloaf Wealth Management LLC boosted its position in Charles Schwab by 60.0% during the fourth quarter. Sugarloaf Wealth Management LLC now owns 440 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 165 shares during the period. Frazier Financial Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Charles Schwab in the fourth quarter worth about $30,000. Wetzel Investment Advisors Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Charles Schwab in the fourth quarter worth about $31,000. Finally, Tributary Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Charles Schwab in the first quarter worth about $31,000. Institutional investors own 84.38% of the company's stock.

Charles Schwab Company Profile

The Charles Schwab Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a savings and loan holding company that provides wealth management, securities brokerage, banking, asset management, custody, and financial advisory services in the United States and internationally. The company operates in two segments, Investor Services and Advisor Services.