Vinva Investment Management Ltd Grows Holdings in Discover Financial Services (NYSE:DFS)

Vinva Investment Management Ltd increased its position in shares of Discover Financial Services (NYSE:DFS) by 8.2% during the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 12,117 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 921 shares during the quarter. Vinva Investment Management Ltd’s holdings in Discover Financial Services were worth $2,089,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in DFS. Point72 Asia Singapore Pte. Ltd. purchased a new position in Discover Financial Services during the third quarter worth about $30,000. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. purchased a new position in Discover Financial Services during the fourth quarter worth about $33,000. Flagship Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Discover Financial Services during the fourth quarter worth about $34,000. Grove Bank & Trust raised its position in Discover Financial Services by 78.1% in the fourth quarter. Grove Bank & Trust now owns 203 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $35,000 after acquiring an additional 89 shares during the period. Finally, Bfsg LLC bought a new stake in Discover Financial Services in the fourth quarter worth about $35,000. 86.94% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Discover Financial Services Stock Performance

NYSE DFS opened at $164.41 on Friday. The company’s 50 day moving average is $186.28 and its 200-day moving average is $168.46. The company has a quick ratio of 1.03, a current ratio of 1.09 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.09. The firm has a market cap of $41.37 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.30, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.51 and a beta of 1.45. Discover Financial Services has a 12-month low of $119.31 and a 12-month high of $205.76.

Discover Financial Services (NYSE:DFS) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, January 22nd. The financial services provider reported $5.11 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.13 by $1.98. Discover Financial Services had a net margin of 17.29% and a return on equity of 26.18%. Sell-side analysts predict that Discover Financial Services will post 13.88 earnings per share for the current year.

Discover Financial Services Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 6th. Investors of record on Friday, May 23rd will be issued a dividend of $0.70 per share. This represents a $2.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.70%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 23rd. Discover Financial Services’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 17.54%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages have commented on DFS. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their price objective on shares of Discover Financial Services from $193.00 to $210.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Friday, January 24th. StockNews.com lowered shares of Discover Financial Services from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, January 24th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lifted their price objective on shares of Discover Financial Services from $170.00 to $232.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, December 9th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on shares of Discover Financial Services from $146.00 to $169.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, January 24th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on shares of Discover Financial Services from $185.00 to $214.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Friday, January 24th. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Discover Financial Services presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $191.91.

Discover Financial Services 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; 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.