BlueStem Wealth Partners LLC Invests in Prudential Financial, Inc. (NYSE:PRU)

BlueStem Wealth Partners LLC has recently made a new investment in Prudential Financial, Inc. (NYSE:PRU) as indicated in its latest filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for the fourth quarter. The firm acquired a total of 3,597 shares of Prudential's stock, which has an estimated value of around $426,000.

Other institutional investors have also taken steps to adjust their positions in Prudential Financial. For instance, Grove Bank & Trust increased its stake by 65.9% during the same quarter, now owning 219 shares after buying 87 additional shares, bringing the total value to approximately $26,000. Centricity Wealth Management LLC entered the market by purchasing new shares valued at $29,000, while Ashton Thomas Securities LLC acquired a stake worth $31,000 in the previous quarter. Furthermore, CGC Financial Services LLC raised its investment by 82.1% in the fourth quarter, accumulating a total of 275 shares valued at $33,000 after acquiring 124 additional shares. Wingate Wealth Advisors Inc. also bought new shares in Prudential during the fourth quarter, with a value of $33,000. Currently, about 56.83% of Prudential Financial's stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts have recently published reports on Prudential Financial (PRU) shares. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target from $113.00 to $118.00 and maintained an "equal weight" rating in a report released on February 19th. Piper Sandler lowered their target from $127.00 to $124.00, putting a "neutral" rating on the stock on January 16th. Meanwhile, Jefferies Financial Group increased the price objective from $149.00 to $152.00 along with a "buy" rating issued on December 10th. TD Cowen elevated their target from $130.00 to $133.00 on November 27th, rating the stock as a "hold." Barclays also raised their price target from $128.00 to $134.00 in a report published on February 5th, giving it an "equal weight" rating. Overall, one analyst has assigned a sell rating, ten have indicated hold ratings, one has suggested a buy rating, and one has given a strong buy. Currently, Prudential Financial has an average rating of "Hold" with an average price target of $126.15 according to data from MarketBeat.

Prudential Financial Stock Performance

On the trading floor, Prudential Financial stock opened at $115.07 recently. The company boasts a market capitalization of $41.20 billion and a price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 15.40. Its PEG ratio is recorded at 0.98, with a beta value of 1.31. Financial ratios reveal a current ratio of 0.16 and a quick ratio of 0.16, alongside a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68. The stock has seen a fifty-day moving average price of $116.35, juxtaposed with a 200-day moving average of $119.84. Over the past year, Prudential Financial has reached a low of $104.44 and a high of $130.55.

Recent Earnings Report

Prudential Financial recently announced its quarterly earnings results on February 4th, reporting an earnings per share (EPS) of $2.96 for the quarter. This figure fell short of analysts' consensus estimate of $3.36 by $0.40. The firm’s return on equity was 15.86%, while its net margin stood at 4.01%. Analysts project that Prudential Financial will report earnings of $14.36 per share for the current fiscal year.

Dividend Announcement

The company has also declared a quarterly dividend expected to be paid on March 13th. Shareholders on record as of February 18th will receive a dividend of $1.35 per share, with the ex-dividend date being the same day. This increase is a positive change from the previous dividend payment of $1.30. Thus, the annualized dividend now stands at $5.40, providing a yield of 4.69%. Prudential Financial’s dividend payout ratio is approximately 72.29%.

About Prudential Financial

Prudential Financial, Inc. and its subsidiaries offer a variety of financial products and services, including insurance and investment management, both domestically and internationally. The business is segmented into areas such as PGIM, Retirement Strategies, Group Insurance, Individual Life, and International Businesses.

Investment, Finance, Stocks