Raymond James Financial (NYSE:RJF) Stock Breaks Above 200 Day Moving Average Following Analyst Downgrade

Key Points

• Raymond James Financial shares rose above their 200-day moving average, reaching $161.38 after JPMorgan raised its price target from $179 to $185 while maintaining a neutral rating.
• The company reported strong quarterly results, with adjusted EPS of $3.59 and revenue of $4.27 billion, exceeding analyst estimates. Fiscal 2026 also produced record revenue, net income and EPS, supported by growth in client assets, asset management and investment banking.
• Analyst sentiment remains cautious overall: five analysts rate the stock a Buy and nine a Hold, producing a consensus Hold rating and $178.42 target. Key risks include higher compensation and recruiting expenses, weaker net-interest margins and broader macroeconomic uncertainty.

Raymond James Financial, Inc. (NYSE:RJF - Get Free Report)'s share price crossed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Thursday after JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on the stock from $179.00 to $185.00. The stock has a 200-day moving average of $160.34 and traded as high as $161.38. JPMorgan Chase & Co. currently has a neutral rating on the stock. Raymond James Financial shares last traded at $161.1310, with a volume of 1,840,702 shares changing hands.

Other research analysts have also recently issued reports about the company. Citizens Jmp boosted their target price on Raymond James Financial from $200.00 to $205.00 and gave the stock a "market outperform" rating in a report on Thursday, July 23rd. Truist Financial set a $188.00 target price on Raymond James Financial and gave the company a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, September 1st. Wells Fargo & Company assumed coverage on shares of Raymond James Financial in a research report on Friday, October 2nd. They set an "equal weight" rating and a $172.00 price objective for the company. Morgan Stanley boosted their target price on shares of Raymond James Financial from $172.00 to $174.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a report on Friday, July 10th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a "buy (b-)" rating on shares of Raymond James Financial in a research note on Monday, August 17th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $178.42.

Insider Activity

In related news, insider Bella Allaire sold 7,500 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Friday, August 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $177.60, for a total transaction of $1,332,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 46,086 shares of the company's stock, valued at $8,184,873.60. The trade was a 14.00% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.58% of the company's stock.

Key Stories Impacting Raymond James Financial

Here are the key news stories impacting Raymond James Financial this week:

• Positive Sentiment: RJF reported fourth-quarter adjusted earnings of $3.59 per share, exceeding the roughly $3.26–$3.28 analyst consensus, while revenue of $4.27 billion topped expectations near $4.20 billion and increased about 15% year over year. Raymond James Q4 Earnings Beat Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Fiscal 2026 produced record net revenue of $15.79 billion, net income of $2.37 billion and diluted EPS of $11.91. The company returned approximately $1.7 billion to shareholders through dividends and buybacks, including $1.25 billion of stock repurchases. Raymond James Fiscal 2026 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Growth indicators were strong: client assets reached a record $1.94 trillion, fee-based Private Client Group assets rose 15% to $1.16 trillion, and domestic PCG net new assets increased 88% year over year. Asset-management revenue climbed 30%, while investment-banking revenue rose 17%.
• Positive Sentiment: Management entered fiscal 2027 with a strong investment-banking pipeline, record client assets and continued recruiting momentum. An article argues the stock could be materially undervalued relative to its record results. Raymond James May Be Undervalued
• Neutral Sentiment: Wells Fargo lowered its price target from $172 to $169 and maintained an “equal weight” rating, signaling limited near-term conviction despite implied upside.
• Negative Sentiment: Higher advisor commissions and recruiting-related expenses partially offset revenue gains. Management is targeting approximately $2.5 billion in fiscal 2027 non-compensation expenses, while first-quarter asset-management fees are expected to rise only about 1%, potentially tempering growth expectations.
• Negative Sentiment: Bank net-interest margin fell 11 basis points year over year and sequentially, and management cited ongoing geopolitical and macroeconomic uncertainty.

Institutional Trading of Raymond James Financial

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. BlackRock Inc. acquired a new position in Raymond James Financial during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $2,180,699,000. Primecap Management Co. CA acquired a new stake in shares of Raymond James Financial in the 2nd quarter valued at $1,405,145,000. State Street Corp lifted its position in shares of Raymond James Financial by 0.4% during the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 7,889,824 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $1,199,424,000 after purchasing an additional 35,294 shares during the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE lifted its position in shares of Raymond James Financial by 9.9% during the 1st quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 2,449,760 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $354,701,000 after purchasing an additional 220,227 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP grew its stake in shares of Raymond James Financial by 1.8% during the first quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 2,399,638 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $347,390,000 after purchasing an additional 41,413 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 83.83% of the company's stock.

Raymond James Financial Trading Up 2.4%

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.43, a current ratio of 1.06 and a quick ratio of 1.03. The business's 50 day moving average is $164.90 and its 200 day moving average is $160.34. The stock has a market cap of $31.00 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.52, a P/E/G ratio of 0.80 and a beta of 0.94.

Raymond James Financial (NYSE:RJF - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, October 28th. The financial services provider reported $3.59 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $3.26 by $0.33. Raymond James Financial had a return on equity of 19.52% and a net margin of 13.50%. The company had revenue of $4.27 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.20 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $3.11 EPS. Raymond James Financial's revenue for the quarter was up 14.5% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts expect that Raymond James Financial, Inc. will post 14.24 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Raymond James Financial Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, October 15th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, October 1st were paid a $0.54 dividend. This represents a $2.16 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.3%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, October 1st. Raymond James Financial's dividend payout ratio is currently 18.83%.

About Raymond James Financial

Raymond James Financial, Inc is a diversified financial services company serving individuals, corporations, municipalities and institutions. Through its subsidiaries and affiliated advisors, the company provides wealth management, investment advisory, financial planning, securities brokerage, banking and capital markets services.

The company's Private Client Group offers investment management, retirement planning, estate planning and other financial planning services through a network of financial advisors.

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