Farmers & Merchants Investments Adjusts Position in Ameriprise Financial

Farmers & Merchants Investments Inc. has reduced its stake in Ameriprise Financial, Inc. (NYSE:AMP) by 2.0% during the fourth quarter, based on the latest disclosure submitted to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). After selling 657 shares in the quarter, the institutional investor now holds 32,195 shares of the financial services company, which were valued at approximately $17,142,000 as per their recent SEC filing.

Additionally, several other institutional investors have been making adjustments to their positions in Ameriprise Financial. For instance, Oakworth Capital Inc. acquired a new position in the company during the third quarter, estimated at around $31,000. Sound Income Strategies LLC also bought a new stake valued at about $36,000 in the fourth quarter. Other notable purchases include Golden State Wealth Management LLC, which bought a position worth approximately $38,000, and Peterson Financial Group Inc., who acquired shares worth $45,000 in the third quarter. Albion Financial Group UT also entered the picture with a purchase in the fourth quarter, valuing around $46,000. Currently, institutional investors and hedge funds own approximately 83.95% of Ameriprise Financial's stock.

Recent Analyst Ratings

Ameriprise Financial has recently been a focal point for analysts, resulting in various ratings adjustments. Royal Bank of Canada reaffirmed an "outperform" rating for the stock with a price target of $625.00 announced on February 3rd. On the same day, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods updated their target price from $560.00 to $570.00 and classified the stock as "market perform." Meanwhile, on January 6th, UBS Group downgraded Ameriprise from a "buy" to a "neutral" rating, lowering the price target from $580.00 to $570.00. Morgan Stanley, on October 17th, revised their price target upward from $440.00 to $502.00, maintaining an "equal weight" rating. Additionally, Piper Sandler raised their target from $415.00 to $442.00 and assigned an "underweight" rating. At present, one analyst has classified the stock as a sell, six maintain hold ratings, and three recommend buy, leading to an average rating of "Hold" with a price target of $510.44 according to MarketBeat data.

Insider Activity

Turning to insider trading, CFO Walter Stanley Berman sold 8,655 shares of Ameriprise Financial stock on November 11th for an average price of $564.16. This transaction amounted to a total value of about $4,882,804.80, reducing his holdings to 6,409 shares, valued at approximately $3,615,701.44 post-sale. As a result of this sale, his ownership decreased by 57.45%. This transaction has been documented in a filing with the SEC, which is publicly accessible. Insiders currently own about 0.73% of Ameriprise Financial stock.

Market Performance

On the stock market, shares of NYSE AMP started at $538.59 on Friday. The company’s financial ratios indicate a quick ratio of 0.65, a current ratio of 0.59, and a debt-to-equity ratio at 1.01. The stock's 50-day moving average is noted at $544.84, with a two-hundred-day average of $500.82. Over the past year, shares have fluctuated between a low of $385.74 and a high of $582.05. Ameriprise Financial has a market capitalization of $52.25 billion and a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.29, alongside a PEG ratio of 1.18 and a beta of 1.36.

In their most recent earnings report dated January 29th, Ameriprise Financial revealed earnings per share (EPS) of $9.36, surpassing analysts' expectations of $9.16 by $0.20. The company reported a return on equity of 69.35% and a net margin of 19.70%, with predictions for an EPS of 38.68 for the current year.

Dividend Declaration

Moreover, Ameriprise Financial recently announced a quarterly dividend of $1.48 per share, scheduled for payment on February 28th, to investors of record as of February 10th. This dividend reflects an annualized amount of $5.92, leading to a current dividend yield of 1.10%. The ex-dividend date is set for February 10th, and the company's dividend payout ratio stands at 17.91%.

Company Overview

Ameriprise Financial, Inc. offers various financial solutions and services to both individual and institutional clients in the U.S. and internationally, operating through four segments: Advice & Wealth Management, Asset Management, Retirement & Protection Solutions, and Corporate & Other.

Investments, Shares, Financial