Rep. Lloyd Smucker Sells Prudential Financial, Inc. (NYSE:PRU) Stock

Key Points

• Representative Lloyd Smucker sold between $1,001 and $15,000 of Prudential Financial (NYSE:PRU) stock on April 23 in a "SALE OF SPOUSE INHERITED ASSETS" account.
• He also executed several other financial-sector sales the same period — notably Fulton Financial ($50,001–$100,000 on 4/23 and $100,001–$250,000 on 4/17) along with smaller disposals of Wells Fargo, Verizon and others — indicating broader portfolio trimming.
• Prudential recently raised its quarterly dividend to $1.40 (a 5.7% yield), but reported a Q1 EPS miss and has seen multiple price-target cuts and downgrades, leaving a MarketBeat consensus rating of "Reduce" with a $101.75 target while the stock trades near $98.71.

Representative Lloyd Smucker (Republican-Pennsylvania) recently sold shares of Prudential Financial, Inc. NYSE: PRU. In a filing disclosed on April 30th, the Representative disclosed that they had sold between $1,001 and $15,000 in Prudential Financial stock on April 23rd. The trade occurred in the Representative's "SALE OF SPOUSE INHERITED ASSETS" account.

Representative Lloyd Smucker also recently made the following trade(s):

• Sold $1,001 - $15,000 in shares of Verizon Communications NYSE: VZ on 4/23/2026.
• Sold $1,001 - $15,000 in shares of ENB Financial OTCMKTS: ENBP on 4/23/2026.
• Sold $50,001 - $100,000 in shares of Fulton Financial NASDAQ: FULT on 4/23/2026.
• Sold $15,001 - $50,000 in shares of Wells Fargo & Company NYSE: WFC on 4/23/2026.
• Sold $100,001 - $250,000 in shares of Fulton Financial NASDAQ: FULT on 4/17/2026.
• Sold $1,001 - $15,000 in shares of Truist Financial NYSE: TFC on 4/17/2026.

Prudential Financial Trading Up 0.6%

Prudential Financial stock opened at $98.71 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 0.16, a quick ratio of 0.16 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.58. The business's fifty day simple moving average is $96.97 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $104.57. Prudential Financial, Inc. has a 12 month low of $91.89 and a 12 month high of $119.76. The company has a market capitalization of $34.33 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.87, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.33 and a beta of 0.86.

Prudential Financial (NYSE:PRU - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, February 3rd. The financial services provider reported $3.30 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $3.37 by ($0.07). Prudential Financial had a return on equity of 16.32% and a net margin of 6.20%.The company had revenue of $14.52 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $14.48 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $2.96 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts predict that Prudential Financial, Inc. will post 13.87 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Prudential Financial Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, March 12th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, February 17th were issued a $1.40 dividend. This represents a $5.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 5.7%. This is a positive change from Prudential Financial's previous quarterly dividend of $1.35. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, February 17th. Prudential Financial's dividend payout ratio is presently 56.00%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on PRU. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lowered their price target on Prudential Financial from $104.00 to $100.00 and set a "market perform" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, April 23rd. Barclays downgraded Prudential Financial from an "equal weight" rating to an "underweight" rating and lowered their price target for the company from $110.00 to $91.00 in a report on Wednesday, April 22nd. Wall Street Zen cut Prudential Financial from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Saturday, January 10th. Mizuho reduced their price objective on Prudential Financial from $113.00 to $101.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, April 13th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price objective on Prudential Financial from $103.00 to $95.00 and set an "underweight" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, April 10th. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and five have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Reduce" and a consensus target price of $101.75.

Institutional Trading of Prudential Financial

Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. State Street Corp grew its position in shares of Prudential Financial by 1.2% during the fourth quarter. State Street Corp now owns 17,234,061 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $1,945,381,000 after purchasing an additional 210,959 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its position in shares of Prudential Financial by 0.3% during the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 9,533,806 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $1,078,904,000 after purchasing an additional 26,414 shares in the last quarter. Morgan Stanley grew its holdings in Prudential Financial by 6.7% during the 4th quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 6,649,202 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $750,562,000 after buying an additional 420,081 shares in the last quarter. Legal & General Group Plc increased its stake in Prudential Financial by 2.4% in the 3rd quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 2,701,116 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $280,214,000 after acquiring an additional 62,366 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Prudential Financial by 0.7% during the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 2,428,696 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $274,151,000 after acquiring an additional 15,865 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 56.83% of the company's stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Prudential Financial

Here are the key news stories impacting Prudential Financial this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts expect Q1 to show a higher net investment spread, favorable underwriting results and growth in fixed annuities — these operational beats would support earnings and margin improvement. What's in the Cards for Prudential Financial This Earnings Season?
• Neutral Sentiment: Pre‑earnings deep‑dive pieces highlight that analysts are watching metrics beyond revenue/EPS (net spread, NBP, annuity sales, underwriting trends). These previews set expectations but are not immediate catalysts until Q1 results arrive. Exploring Analyst Estimates for Prudential (PRU) Q1 Earnings
• Neutral Sentiment: Prudential appears in a list of high‑yield blue‑chip income names — inclusion may attract income‑focused investors but is not a near‑term earnings catalyst. 5 Quality Passive Income Blue-Chips That All Yield 5% and More Safely
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks Research downgraded PRU from "hold" to "strong sell" — a notable analyst downgrade that can pressure sentiment and lead some funds to reduce exposure. Zacks.com
• Negative Sentiment: Prudential warned of inflationary pressures in South Asia even as quarterly new business profit rose — this flags geographic margin risk that could weigh on future NBP and expense assumptions. Prudential flags inflation risks in South Asia

Insider Activity at Prudential Financial

In other Prudential Financial news, Director Thomas D. Stoddard purchased 250 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 17th. The shares were bought at an average price of $102.97 per share, with a total value of $25,742.50. Following the completion of the purchase, the director directly owned 250 shares in the company, valued at $25,742.50. This trade represents a ∞ increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP Jacques Chappuis acquired 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, February 6th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $100.97 per share, with a total value of $100,970.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 1,000 shares of the company's stock, valued at $100,970. The trade was a ∞ increase in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last ninety days, insiders acquired 1,650 shares of company stock valued at $168,841. 0.05% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

About Representative Smucker

Lloyd Smucker (Republican Party) is a member of the U.S. House, representing Pennsylvania's 11th Congressional District. He assumed office on January 3, 2019. His current term ends on January 3, 2027. Smucker (Republican Party) is running for re-election to the U.S. House to represent Pennsylvania's 11th Congressional District. He declared candidacy for the 2026 election. Smucker attended Franklin and Marshall and Lebanon Valley Colleges. His professional experience includes owning his own construction company from 1981 to 2005.

About Prudential Financial

Prudential Financial, Inc, headquartered in Newark, New Jersey, is a diversified financial services company with roots dating to 1875. The firm provides a range of insurance, retirement and investment products aimed at helping individual and institutional clients manage risk, accumulate and protect wealth, and plan for retirement. Prudential's long history in life insurance and related financial services has positioned it as a major participant in the U.S. insurance market and a provider of services to a broad client base.

Prudential's core business activities include individual life insurance, annuities, retirement solutions and group insurance products for employers.

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