Discover Financial Services (NYSE:DFS) Coverage Initiated by Analysts at StockNews.com

Analysts at StockNews.com began coverage on shares of Discover Financial Services (NYSE:DFS) in a research note issued on Thursday. The brokerage set a “hold” rating on the financial services provider’s stock.

A number of other brokerages also recently weighed in on DFS. BMO Capital Markets upped their price target on shares of Discover Financial Services from $115.00 to $119.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a report on Friday, July 19th. Royal Bank of Canada upped their price target on shares of Discover Financial Services from $140.00 to $148.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a report on Friday, July 19th. BTIG Research began coverage on shares of Discover Financial Services in a report on Friday, June 7th. They set a “neutral” rating for the company. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upped their price target on shares of Discover Financial Services from $145.00 to $160.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, July 8th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on shares of Discover Financial Services from $132.00 to $135.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, July 19th. Thirteen research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $132.94.

Discover Financial Services Stock Performance

NYSE DFS opened at $144.89 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.04, a current ratio of 1.12 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.28. The company has a market capitalization of $36.34 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.52, a P/E/G ratio of 0.94 and a beta of 1.41. Discover Financial Services has a 12-month low of $79.04 and a 12-month high of $147.61. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $134.32 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $129.72.

Discover Financial Services (NYSE:DFS) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 17th. The financial services provider reported $6.06 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.06 by $3.00. Discover Financial Services had a net margin of 12.88% and a return on equity of 20.92%. The firm had revenue of $4.54 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.18 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $3.54 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 17.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts anticipate that Discover Financial Services will post 12.88 earnings per share for the current year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Discover Financial Services

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in DFS. Opal Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Discover Financial Services in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Y.D. More Investments Ltd increased its position in Discover Financial Services by 147.8% in the 2nd quarter. Y.D. More Investments Ltd now owns 223 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $29,000 after acquiring an additional 133 shares during the period. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. increased its position in Discover Financial Services by 72.5% in the 2nd quarter. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. now owns 226 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $30,000 after acquiring an additional 95 shares during the period. Larson Financial Group LLC increased its position in Discover Financial Services by 348.2% in the 2nd quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 251 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $33,000 after acquiring an additional 195 shares during the period. Finally, Riverview Trust Co acquired a new position in Discover Financial Services in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $34,000. 86.94% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Discover Financial Services Company Profile

Discover Financial Services, through its subsidiaries, provides digital banking products and services, and payment services in the United States. It operates in two segments, Digital Banking and Payment Services. The Digital Banking segment offers Discover-branded credit cards to individuals; private student loans, personal loans, home loans, and other consumer lending; and direct-to-consumer deposit products comprising savings accounts, certificates of deposit, money market accounts, IRA certificates of deposit, IRA savings accounts and checking accounts, and sweep accounts.