Fiserv, Inc. (NYSE:FI) Shares Acquired by Argyle Capital Management LLC

Argyle Capital Management LLC raised its stake in Fiserv, Inc. (NYSE:FI) by 3.1% during the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 16,003 shares of the business services provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 480 shares during the period. Fiserv makes up 1.3% of Argyle Capital Management LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 29th largest position. Argyle Capital Management LLC’s holdings in Fiserv were worth $3,287,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. J.W. Cole Advisors Inc. boosted its stake in Fiserv by 18.5% during the 3rd quarter. J.W. Cole Advisors Inc. now owns 2,686 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $483,000 after purchasing an additional 419 shares during the period. Valmark Advisers Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Fiserv by 37.7% in the 3rd quarter. Valmark Advisers Inc. now owns 2,995 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $538,000 after acquiring an additional 820 shares during the period. Fidelis Capital Partners LLC increased its position in shares of Fiserv by 2.1% in the third quarter. Fidelis Capital Partners LLC now owns 3,583 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $644,000 after buying an additional 75 shares in the last quarter. Cornerstone Wealth Group LLC increased its holdings in Fiserv by 3.5% during the 3rd quarter. Cornerstone Wealth Group LLC now owns 2,303 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $414,000 after acquiring an additional 78 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Goldstone Financial Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of Fiserv during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $296,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 90.98% of the company’s stock.

Fiserv Stock Up 0.9 %

Shares of Fiserv stock opened at $231.85 on Friday. Fiserv, Inc. has a twelve month low of $145.98 and a twelve month high of $237.99. The stock has a market cap of $130.13 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 43.01, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 0.94. The company has a current ratio of 1.06, a quick ratio of 1.07 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.86. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $216.09 and a 200 day moving average price of $200.29.

Fiserv (NYSE:FI) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The business services provider reported $2.51 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.48 by $0.03. Fiserv had a return on equity of 17.93% and a net margin of 15.31%. Equities research analysts forecast that Fiserv, Inc. will post 10.23 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Fiserv announced that its board has authorized a share repurchase program on Thursday, February 20th that authorizes the company to buyback 60,000,000 shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the business services provider to buy shares of its stock through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are usually a sign that the company’s management believes its shares are undervalued.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

FI has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods increased their target price on Fiserv from $238.00 to $260.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, February 6th. Susquehanna increased their price objective on Fiserv from $230.00 to $270.00 and gave the company a “positive” rating in a research note on Monday, February 10th. KeyCorp boosted their target price on shares of Fiserv from $250.00 to $270.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. Morgan Stanley raised their price target on shares of Fiserv from $258.00 to $267.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. Finally, Oppenheimer upped their price objective on shares of Fiserv from $214.00 to $239.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 19th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twenty-one have issued a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $239.83.

Insider Buying and Selling at Fiserv

In other Fiserv news, COO Guy Chiarello sold 45,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $235.55, for a total transaction of $10,599,750.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer now owns 227,711 shares in the company, valued at $53,637,326.05. This trade represents a 16.50 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 0.75% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Fiserv Company Profile

Fiserv, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, provides payments and financial services technology services in the United States, Europe, the Middle East and Africa, Latin America, the Asia-Pacific, and internationally. It operates through Merchant Acceptance, Financial Technology, and Payments and Network segments.