Short Interest in U.S. Bancorp (NYSE:USB) Decreases By 19.7%

U.S. Bancorp (NYSE:USB - Get Free Report) was the target of a significant decrease in short interest in the month of April. As of April 15th, there was short interest totalling 18,840,000 shares, a decrease of 19.7% from the March 31st total of 23,450,000 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 8,540,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 2.2 days.

Insider Activity

In related news, insider Terrance R. Dolan sold 26,583 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, January 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $43.37, for a total transaction of $1,152,904.71. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 144,236 shares of the company's stock, valued at $6,255,515.32. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. In related news, EVP James L. Chosy sold 21,582 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, February 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $41.47, for a total transaction of $895,005.54. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 164,880 shares of the company's stock, valued at $6,837,573.60. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, insider Terrance R. Dolan sold 26,583 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, January 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $43.37, for a total value of $1,152,904.71. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 144,236 shares of the company's stock, valued at $6,255,515.32. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Corporate insiders own 0.23% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On U.S. Bancorp

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. CGC Financial Services LLC acquired a new position in shares of U.S. Bancorp in the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. BKM Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in U.S. Bancorp during the 4th quarter worth approximately $26,000. Planned Solutions Inc. acquired a new position in U.S. Bancorp during the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. Legacy Financial Group LLC acquired a new position in U.S. Bancorp during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $30,000. Finally, Naples Money Management LLC acquired a new position in U.S. Bancorp during the 4th quarter worth approximately $30,000. 77.60% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

U.S. Bancorp Trading Up 0.3 %

NYSE:USB traded up $0.13 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $41.12. The company's stock had a trading volume of 4,512,229 shares, compared to its average volume of 7,300,433. The company's fifty day simple moving average is $42.34 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $40.21. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.07, a current ratio of 0.82 and a quick ratio of 0.81. U.S. Bancorp has a twelve month low of $27.27 and a twelve month high of $45.85. The stock has a market cap of $64.07 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.62, a P/E/G ratio of 2.13 and a beta of 1.05.

U.S. Bancorp (NYSE:USB - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 17th. The financial services provider reported $0.90 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.89 by $0.01. U.S. Bancorp had a return on equity of 13.93% and a net margin of 12.13%. The firm had revenue of $6.72 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.71 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.16 EPS. The firm's quarterly revenue was down 6.4% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts predict that U.S. Bancorp will post 3.86 EPS for the current year.

U.S. Bancorp Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, April 15th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 29th were paid a $0.49 dividend. This represents a $1.96 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.77%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, March 27th. U.S. Bancorp's dividend payout ratio is currently 64.90%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have commented on the company. UBS Group reduced their target price on U.S. Bancorp from $47.00 to $43.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a report on Friday, April 19th. Barclays reduced their target price on U.S. Bancorp from $56.00 to $52.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, April 18th. Jefferies Financial Group raised their target price on U.S. Bancorp from $44.00 to $46.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, April 8th. Piper Sandler reissued a "neutral" rating on shares of U.S. Bancorp in a report on Friday, January 26th. Finally, Morgan Stanley raised their price target on U.S. Bancorp from $44.00 to $45.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 30th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, fourteen have issued a hold rating and eight have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $46.14.

U.S. Bancorp Company Profile

U.S. Bancorp, a financial services holding company, provides various financial services to individuals, businesses, institutional organizations, governmental entities, and other financial institutions in the United States. It operates through Wealth, Corporate, Commercial and Institutional Banking; Consumer and Business Banking; Payment Services; and Treasury and Corporate Support segments.