Capital Management Corp VA Sells 217 Shares of Prudential Financial, Inc. (NYSE:PRU)

Capital Management Corp VA decreased its position in shares of Prudential Financial, Inc. (NYSE:PRU) by 0.3% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 71,095 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after selling 217 shares during the quarter. Prudential Financial makes up approximately 1.5% of Capital Management Corp VA’s portfolio, making the stock its 28th biggest position. Capital Management Corp VA’s holdings in Prudential Financial were worth $8,427,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of PRU. Grove Bank & Trust boosted its stake in shares of Prudential Financial by 65.9% during the fourth quarter. Grove Bank & Trust now owns 219 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 87 shares in the last quarter. Centricity Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in Prudential Financial in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC acquired a new stake in Prudential Financial during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $31,000. CGC Financial Services LLC grew its holdings in Prudential Financial by 82.1% during the 4th quarter. CGC Financial Services LLC now owns 275 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $33,000 after acquiring an additional 124 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Wingate Wealth Advisors Inc. bought a new position in shares of Prudential Financial during the fourth quarter valued at $33,000. Institutional investors own 56.83% of the company’s stock.

Prudential Financial Stock Up 1.1 %

Prudential Financial stock opened at $111.35 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.16, a current ratio of 0.16 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68. The company has a market capitalization of $39.86 billion, a PE ratio of 14.91, a PEG ratio of 0.98 and a beta of 1.28. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $115.53 and its 200 day moving average is $119.70. Prudential Financial, Inc. has a 12-month low of $104.44 and a 12-month high of $130.55.

Prudential Financial (NYSE:PRU) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 4th. The financial services provider reported $2.96 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.36 by ($0.40). Prudential Financial had a return on equity of 15.86% and a net margin of 4.01%. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Prudential Financial, Inc. will post 14.36 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Prudential Financial Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 13th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, February 18th will be issued a dividend of $1.35 per share. This is an increase from Prudential Financial’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, February 18th. This represents a $5.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.85%. Prudential Financial’s payout ratio is currently 72.29%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts recently weighed in on PRU shares. Barclays boosted their price objective on shares of Prudential Financial from $128.00 to $134.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 5th. BMO Capital Markets began coverage on Prudential Financial in a research report on Thursday, January 23rd. They issued an “underperform” rating and a $101.00 price target on the stock. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lowered their price objective on Prudential Financial from $129.00 to $125.00 and set a “market perform” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, February 12th. Jefferies Financial Group upped their target price on Prudential Financial from $149.00 to $152.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, December 10th. Finally, Morgan Stanley lowered their price target on shares of Prudential Financial from $136.00 to $128.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Friday, February 28th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have issued a hold rating, one has given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $126.15.

About Prudential Financial

Prudential Financial, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, provides insurance, investment management, and other financial products and services in the United States and internationally. It operates through PGIM, Retirement Strategies, Group Insurance, Individual Life, and International Businesses segments.