U.S. Bancorp (NYSE:USB) Receives Average Rating of "Moderate Buy" from Brokerages

Key Points

• U.S. Bancorp has a consensus analyst rating of "Moderate Buy" from 23 firms (14 buys, 7 holds, 1 sell, 1 strong buy) with an average 12‑month price target of $60.45.
• The bank beat expectations for the most recent quarter, reporting $1.26 EPS versus $1.19 expected and revenue of $7.92 billion versus $7.31 billion, with analysts forecasting $4.38 EPS for the current year.
• U.S. Bancorp declared a quarterly dividend of $0.52 (annualized $2.08), representing a 3.9% dividend yield and a payout ratio around 45%.

U.S. Bancorp (NYSE:USB - Get Free Report) has earned a consensus recommendation of "Moderate Buy" from the twenty-three research firms that are currently covering the firm, MarketBeat Ratings reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, seven have issued a hold recommendation, fourteen have issued a buy recommendation and one has assigned a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 12 month price target among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $60.4524.

A number of analysts recently commented on USB shares. Royal Bank Of Canada upped their price objective on U.S. Bancorp from $57.00 to $59.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. HSBC restated a "buy" rating and set a $62.00 price target on shares of U.S. Bancorp in a research note on Wednesday, January 7th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods increased their price objective on shares of U.S. Bancorp from $58.00 to $59.00 and gave the stock a "market perform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. Jefferies Financial Group began coverage on shares of U.S. Bancorp in a report on Thursday, March 26th. They issued a "hold" rating and a $55.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, Barclays boosted their target price on shares of U.S. Bancorp from $56.00 to $65.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Monday, January 5th.

U.S. Bancorp Trading Up 0.0%

Shares of USB stock opened at $52.97 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 0.80, a quick ratio of 0.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.03. U.S. Bancorp has a 12-month low of $35.18 and a 12-month high of $61.19. The stock has a market capitalization of $82.22 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.47, a P/E/G ratio of 0.97 and a beta of 1.01. The firm's 50 day moving average is $54.90 and its 200 day moving average is $51.88.

U.S. Bancorp (NYSE:USB - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, January 20th. The financial services provider reported $1.26 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.19 by $0.07. The business had revenue of $7.92 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $7.31 billion. U.S. Bancorp had a net margin of 17.66% and a return on equity of 13.48%. The company's quarterly revenue was up 5.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $1.07 EPS. Research analysts expect that U.S. Bancorp will post 4.38 earnings per share for the current year.

U.S. Bancorp Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 15th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, March 31st will be given a dividend of $0.52 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, March 31st. This represents a $2.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.9%. U.S. Bancorp's payout ratio is presently 45.02%.

Insider Activity at U.S. Bancorp

In related news, insider Mark G. Runkel sold 32,195 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Friday, February 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $60.65, for a total value of $1,952,626.75. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 97,728 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $5,927,203.20. This trade represents a 24.78% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. 0.21% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of U.S. Bancorp

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of USB. World Investment Advisors raised its stake in shares of U.S. Bancorp by 9.1% in the fourth quarter. World Investment Advisors now owns 62,129 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $3,315,000 after buying an additional 5,171 shares during the period. Larry Mathis Financial Planning LLC bought a new position in shares of U.S. Bancorp during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $413,000. Advisortrust Partners LLC purchased a new stake in U.S. Bancorp in the 4th quarter worth approximately $626,000. PeakShares LLC bought a new stake in U.S. Bancorp during the 4th quarter worth approximately $96,000. Finally, Corient Private Wealth LLC raised its stake in U.S. Bancorp by 26.9% during the 4th quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC now owns 513,400 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $27,454,000 after acquiring an additional 108,789 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 77.60% of the company's stock.

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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