Union Bancaire Privee UBP SA Invests $54,000 in Prudential Financial, Inc. (NYSE:PRU)

Union Bancaire Privee UBP SA acquired a new stake in Prudential Financial, Inc. (NYSE:PRU) in the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund acquired 497 shares of the financial services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $54,000.

A number of other large investors have also bought and sold shares of PRU. Grove Bank & Trust increased its position in shares of Prudential Financial by 65.9% during the fourth quarter. Grove Bank & Trust now owns 219 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 87 shares in the last quarter. Centricity Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Prudential Financial in the 4th quarter worth $29,000. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC bought a new position in Prudential Financial during the 3rd quarter worth about $31,000. CGC Financial Services LLC raised its stake in shares of Prudential Financial by 82.1% in the 4th quarter. CGC Financial Services LLC now owns 275 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 124 shares during the period. Finally, Wingate Wealth Advisors Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Prudential Financial in the fourth quarter valued at about $33,000. 56.83% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Prudential Financial Stock Performance

PRU opened at $111.12 on Wednesday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.16, a current ratio of 0.16 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68. Prudential Financial, Inc. has a 12-month low of $104.44 and a 12-month high of $130.55. The business has a 50 day moving average of $116.52 and a 200-day moving average of $119.83. The stock has a market cap of $39.78 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.87, a PEG ratio of 0.98 and a beta of 1.31.

Prudential Financial (NYSE:PRU) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 4th. The financial services provider reported $2.96 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $3.36 by ($0.40). Prudential Financial had a net margin of 4.01% and a return on equity of 15.86%. On average, equities research analysts expect that Prudential Financial, Inc. will post 14.36 earnings per share for the current year.

Prudential Financial Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 13th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, February 18th will be issued a dividend of $1.35 per share. This represents a $5.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.86%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, February 18th. This is a boost from Prudential Financial’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. Prudential Financial’s payout ratio is currently 72.29%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages recently issued reports on PRU. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods dropped their target price on Prudential Financial from $129.00 to $125.00 and set a “market perform” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, February 12th. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price objective on shares of Prudential Financial from $149.00 to $152.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, December 10th. BMO Capital Markets began coverage on shares of Prudential Financial in a report on Thursday, January 23rd. They set an “underperform” rating and a $101.00 target price for the company. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on shares of Prudential Financial from $113.00 to $118.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 19th. Finally, Barclays increased their price objective on shares of Prudential Financial from $128.00 to $134.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 5th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have issued a hold rating, one has assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Prudential Financial has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $125.69.

Prudential Financial Profile

Prudential Financial, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, provides insurance, investment management, and other financial products and services in the United States and internationally. It operates through PGIM, Retirement Strategies, Group Insurance, Individual Life, and International Businesses segments.