U.S. Bancorp (NYSE:USB) Given "Strong-Buy" Rating at Raymond James Financial

Key Points

• Raymond James Financial reiterated a Strong-Buy rating on U.S. Bancorp and set a $72 price target, implying about 14.5% upside from the prior close.
• Other analysts remain generally positive on USB, with recent target increases from Wells Fargo and UBS, while the broader consensus stands at a Moderate Buy with an average target price of $64.31.
• U.S. Bancorp reported better-than-expected Q1 earnings, posting EPS of $1.18 versus $1.14 expected and revenue of $7.32 billion, while insider selling was also disclosed in recent filings.

U.S. Bancorp (NYSE:USB - Get Free Report)'s stock had its "strong-buy" rating reiterated by analysts at Raymond James Financial in a report issued on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. They presently have a $72.00 price objective on the financial services provider's stock. Raymond James Financial's target price points to a potential upside of 14.47% from the company's previous close.

A number of other analysts also recently weighed in on USB. Stephens assumed coverage on U.S. Bancorp in a research report on Monday, June 15th. They issued an "equal weight" rating and a $63.00 target price for the company. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on shares of U.S. Bancorp from $62.00 to $66.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Monday. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of U.S. Bancorp from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Monday. Weiss Ratings raised shares of U.S. Bancorp from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "buy (b)" rating in a research note on Monday, May 4th. Finally, UBS Group increased their target price on shares of U.S. Bancorp from $58.00 to $66.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Tuesday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have assigned a Buy rating, seven have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $64.31.

U.S. Bancorp Stock Performance

U.S. Bancorp stock opened at $62.90 on Wednesday. U.S. Bancorp has a fifty-two week low of $43.46 and a fifty-two week high of $63.39. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.03, a quick ratio of 0.81 and a current ratio of 0.81. The stock has a market cap of $97.57 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.19, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.09 and a beta of 0.96. The firm's fifty day moving average price is $56.84 and its 200-day moving average price is $55.64.

U.S. Bancorp (NYSE:USB - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, April 16th. The financial services provider reported $1.18 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.14 by $0.04. U.S. Bancorp had a net margin of 18.01% and a return on equity of 13.55%. The company had revenue of $7.32 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $7.27 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $1.03 earnings per share. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 4.7% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts expect that U.S. Bancorp will post 5.09 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at U.S. Bancorp

In other U.S. Bancorp news, EVP Venkatachari Dilip sold 34,522 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $55.52, for a total transaction of $1,916,661.44. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 51,292 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,847,731.84. This represents a 40.23% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, insider Jodi L. Richard sold 40,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, April 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $57.00, for a total transaction of $2,280,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 207,251 shares in the company, valued at $11,813,307. The trade was a 16.18% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 0.21% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On U.S. Bancorp

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in USB. Financial Life Planners purchased a new position in U.S. Bancorp during the 3rd quarter valued at $25,000. Clayton Financial Group LLC purchased a new stake in shares of U.S. Bancorp in the 4th quarter worth about $25,000. Main Street Group LTD bought a new stake in shares of U.S. Bancorp during the 1st quarter valued at about $28,000. JPL Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of U.S. Bancorp during the third quarter valued at about $28,000. Finally, Binnacle Investments Inc raised its stake in U.S. Bancorp by 77.8% in the third quarter. Binnacle Investments Inc now owns 624 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $30,000 after buying an additional 273 shares in the last quarter. 77.60% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Key Stories Impacting U.S. Bancorp

Here are the key news stories impacting U.S. Bancorp this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Jefferies upgraded U.S. Bancorp (USB) to Buy and lifted its price target to $75, signaling meaningful upside potential. U.S. Bancorp NYSE: USB Upgraded to "Buy" at Jefferies Financial Group
• Positive Sentiment: Wells Fargo raised its price target on U.S. Bancorp (USB) to $66 and maintained an Overweight rating, reinforcing a constructive outlook. U.S. Bancorp NYSE: USB Price Target Raised to $66.00 at Wells Fargo & Company
• Positive Sentiment: UBS also increased its target on U.S. Bancorp (USB) to $66, suggesting analysts see room for additional gains even though the rating remained neutral. UBS Group Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for U.S. Bancorp NYSE: USB Stock
• Positive Sentiment: U.S. Bank launched Enhanced Payments, a tool aimed at helping small businesses move money faster and lower costs, which could support payments growth and deepen client relationships. U.S. Bank Debuts Tool for Faster Small Business Money Movement
• Positive Sentiment: Elavon, U.S. Bank’s payments unit, announced a partnership with Wix to expand unified commerce solutions for small businesses, which may help broaden payments volume and merchant adoption. Wix and Elavon Launch Unified Commerce Solutions to Help Small Businesses Start, Grow and Scale

About U.S. Bancorp

U.S. Bancorp NYSE: USB is a bank holding company and the parent of U.S. Bank, a national commercial bank that provides a wide range of banking, investment, mortgage, trust and payment services. The company operates through consumer and business banking, commercial banking, payment services, and wealth management segments. Its product set includes deposit accounts, consumer and commercial lending, mortgage origination and servicing, credit and debit card services, treasury and cash management, merchant processing, and institutional and trust services.

Headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.

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