abrdn plc Reduces Stake in The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.

abrdn plc has decreased its ownership in The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (NYSE:GS) by 10.4% during the fourth quarter, as indicated by its latest 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. After selling 36,631 shares during this quarter, abrdn plc now owns 315,589 shares of the investment management company. This stake represents approximately 0.10% of The Goldman Sachs Group, valued at around $180.61 million as of the recent SEC filing.

Changes by Other Institutional Investors

In addition to abrdn plc's adjustments, several other institutional investors have also modified their positions in The Goldman Sachs Group. For instance, Genesee Capital Advisors LLC increased its stake by 1.0% in the fourth quarter, bringing its total to 1,788 shares valued at $1,024,000 after acquiring an additional 17 shares. Similarly, Horst & Graben Wealth Management LLC raised its stake by 1.5%, now holding 1,179 shares valued at $675,000, also acquiring an additional 17 shares during the same period.

Waddell & Associates LLC boosted its share count by 2.1% in the third quarter, owning 896 shares worth $444,000 after purchasing an additional 18 shares. Moreover, Wescott Financial Advisory Group LLC enhanced its stake in The Goldman Sachs Group by 0.7%, owning 2,719 shares valued at $1,346,000 after an additional purchase of 18 shares. Lastly, Bank of New Hampshire has increased its stake by 8.0% in the fourth quarter, now holding 243 shares valued at $139,000 after acquiring 18 more shares. Overall, institutional investors hold approximately 71.21% of the company's shares.

Insider Trading Activities

In related developments, insiders have also been active. Kathryn H. Ruemmler, an insider, sold 7,498 shares of The Goldman Sachs Group on January 21st, with the shares sold at an average price of $634.69, totaling $4,758,905.62. Following this transaction, she retains 9,589 shares valued at $6,086,042.41, marking a 43.88% reduction in her position. Another insider, Alex S. Golten, sold 5,208 shares on January 28th at an average price of $636.25, amounting to $3,313,590.00. After this sale, he holds 3,545 shares valued at approximately $2,255,506.25, representing a 59.50% decrease in his holdings. In the last 90 days, insiders have collectively sold 40,865 shares worth $25,286,862, with corporate insiders owning 0.54% of the company's shares.

Stock Performance Overview

As for the stock itself, GS opened at $632.25 recently. The company has a market capitalization of $196.28 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.59, a P/E/G ratio of 0.89, and a beta of 1.38. Its debt-to-equity ratio stands at 2.32. The Goldman Sachs Group's financial position shows a below-standard quick ratio and current ratio both at 0.67. On the moving average side, the firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $596.07 and a 200-day average of $541.71. Over the past year, the stock reached a low of $375.20 and a high of $650.00.

Recent Earnings Announcements

The Goldman Sachs Group recently published its quarterly earnings results on January 15th, posting an earnings per share (EPS) of $11.95. This figure surpassed the consensus estimate of $8.21 by a notable margin of $3.74. The company's net margin was recorded at 11.32%, with a return on equity of 13.30%. The reported revenue for the quarter was $13.87 billion, exceeding analysts' expectations of $12.36 billion, which reflects a significant revenue increase of 22.5% compared to the previous year. Looking ahead, analysts predict that The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. will achieve an EPS of $47.10 for the current fiscal year.

Dividend Information

The Goldman Sachs Group has also announced a quarterly dividend that is set to be paid on March 28th to investors of record as of February 28th. The declared dividend is $3.00, with an annualized dividend amounting to $12.00, corresponding to a yield of 1.90%. The company's current dividend payout ratio is approximately 29.59%.

Analyst Perspectives

The Goldman Sachs Group has been the focus of various analyst reports. For instance, JPMorgan Chase & Co. has raised its target price for the stock from $550.00 to $605.00, assigning it an "overweight" rating. In contrast, Oppenheimer has lowered its price target from $677.00 to $639.00 while maintaining an "outperform" rating. Citigroup also revised its target upward from $485.00 to $585.00, designating it as neutral. On the other hand, HSBC downgraded The Goldman Sachs Group to a hold rating from a strong buy placement. Furthermore, Morgan Stanley has increased its price target from $736.00 to $782.00, maintaining an overweight rating. Overall, eight analysts rate the stock as hold, and twelve give it a buy rating, leading to a consensus rating labeled as "Moderate Buy" with a target price of approximately $591.06.

The Goldman Sachs Group Profile

The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. operates as a comprehensive financial institution that provides a wide array of financial services to corporations, institutions, governments, and individuals globally. Their operations span across segments such as Global Banking & Markets, Asset & Wealth Management, and Platform Solutions. The Global Banking & Markets segment specifically focuses on offering financial advisory services, including guidance on mergers and acquisitions, corporate defense activities, restructurings, and lending for relationships and acquisitions.

shares, stake, institutional