Principal Financial Group (NYSE:PFG) Now Covered by Analysts at BMO Capital Markets

Analysts at BMO Capital Markets began coverage on shares of Principal Financial Group (NYSE:PFG) in a research report issued on Thursday,Benzinga reports. The firm set a “market perform” rating and a $93.00 price target on the stock. BMO Capital Markets’ target price would suggest a potential upside of 13.89% from the stock’s previous close.

PFG has been the topic of several other research reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded Principal Financial Group from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating and cut their price objective for the company from $95.00 to $92.00 in a report on Tuesday, January 7th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods cut their price target on shares of Principal Financial Group from $93.00 to $90.00 and set a “market perform” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, January 10th. Barclays increased their price objective on shares of Principal Financial Group from $75.00 to $77.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a research report on Friday, October 25th. Bank of America reduced their target price on shares of Principal Financial Group from $94.00 to $91.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, October 10th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada reissued a “sector perform” rating and issued a $91.00 price target on shares of Principal Financial Group in a research note on Thursday, January 16th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have issued a hold rating, two have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Principal Financial Group presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $84.92.

Principal Financial Group Trading Down 1.1 %

PFG opened at $81.66 on Thursday. Principal Financial Group has a twelve month low of $72.21 and a twelve month high of $91.97. The firm has a market cap of $18.68 billion, a PE ratio of -90.73, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.81 and a beta of 1.22. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35, a quick ratio of 0.30 and a current ratio of 0.30. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $81.05 and its two-hundred day moving average is $82.24.

Principal Financial Group (NYSE:PFG) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 24th. The company reported $1.76 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.02 by ($0.26). Principal Financial Group had a positive return on equity of 14.67% and a negative net margin of 1.47%. The business had revenue of $3.01 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.92 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $1.72 EPS. Equities research analysts anticipate that Principal Financial Group will post 7.01 EPS for the current year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Principal Financial Group

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Peterson Financial Group Inc. bought a new position in shares of Principal Financial Group in the 3rd quarter valued at about $33,000. Truvestments Capital LLC acquired a new stake in Principal Financial Group in the 3rd quarter valued at about $43,000. Prospera Private Wealth LLC acquired a new position in Principal Financial Group during the third quarter worth approximately $45,000. Sugarloaf Wealth Management LLC raised its stake in Principal Financial Group by 53.6% in the fourth quarter. Sugarloaf Wealth Management LLC now owns 559 shares of the company’s stock valued at $43,000 after buying an additional 195 shares during the period. Finally, Capital Performance Advisors LLP acquired a new stake in shares of Principal Financial Group in the third quarter valued at approximately $50,000. 75.08% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Principal Financial Group

Principal Financial Group, Inc provides retirement, asset management, and insurance products and services to businesses, individuals, and institutional clients worldwide. The company operates through Retirement and Income Solutions, Principal Asset Management, and Benefits and Protection segments. The Retirement and Income Solutions segment provides retirement, and related financial products and services.