Roxbury Financial LLC Invests in Prudential Financial, Inc. (NYSE:PRU)

Roxbury Financial LLC has made a significant investment in Prudential Financial, Inc. (NYSE:PRU - Free Report) during the fourth quarter, according to its latest filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor acquired 15,180 shares of Prudential, amounting to a value of around $1,965,000. This investment now constitutes about 1.9% of Roxbury Financial LLC's overall portfolio, ranking it as the 14th largest holding in their investments.

In addition to Roxbury, other institutional investors have also made adjustments to their positions in Prudential Financial. For instance, ABC Arbitrage SA initiated a new position in the company during the fourth quarter, worth $1,192,000. Similarly, Vicus Capital increased its stake in Prudential by 2.5%, now owning 8,936 shares valued at $1,059,000 following an additional purchase of 216 shares. V Square Quantitative Management LLC raised its holdings by 5.0%, acquiring 9,898 shares with a total value of $1,173,000 after buying 467 more shares in the same quarter. Furthermore, Palacios Wealth Management LLC and Values Added Financial LLC also established new positions in the fourth quarter, valued around $335,000 and $226,000, respectively. Overall, institutional investors and hedge funds hold approximately 56.83% of Prudential Financial's stock.

Stock Performance and Analysis

On Friday, Prudential Financial's stock opened at $111.54. The company has recorded a twelve-month low of $104.44 and a high of $130.55. When examining Prudential's financial ratios, the quick ratio stands at 0.14, and the current ratio is 0.16, with a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68. The average price over the last 50 days is $118.17, while the 200-day moving average stands at $119.95. Presently, Prudential Financial has a market capitalization of $39.71 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.93, and a beta of 1.31.

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Prudential Financial, Inc. last reported earnings on February 4th, revealing earnings per share (EPS) of $2.96 for the quarter, which fell short of analysts' expectations of $3.36 by $0.40. The company has a net margin of 4.01% and a return on equity of 15.86%. Looking ahead, analysts predict that Prudential will achieve an EPS of 14.38 for the current fiscal year.

Dividend Announcement

Recently, Prudential Financial declared a quarterly dividend to be distributed on March 13th. Shareholders of record as of February 18th will receive a dividend of $1.35 per share, translating to an annual dividend of $5.40 and a yield of 4.84%. This marks an increase from the previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. The ex-dividend date is also set for February 18th, and the company's current dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 69.61%.

Insider Activity

In terms of insider trading, a key shareholder, the Insurance Company of America, purchased 537,249 shares at an average price of $27.92 per share on November 25th. This transaction totaled nearly $15 million and raised the insider’s total ownership to 4,780,293 shares, valued at over $133 million. The transaction represented a 12.66% increase in their holdings. Insider ownership currently accounts for 0.31% of Prudential's shares.

Research and Ratings

Recent analyst coverage has also focused on Prudential Financial. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods revised their target price from $129.00 to $125.00 while maintaining a 'market perform' rating. BMO Capital Markets began coverage, issuing an 'underperform' rating with a target of $101.00. In contrast, Evercore ISI upgraded their rating from 'underperform' to 'inline' and raised their price target from $117.00 to $140.00. In addition, Wells Fargo reduced their target price to $115.00, maintaining an 'equal weight' rating on the stock. Barclays also raised their target price from $128.00 to $134.00, reiterating an 'equal weight' rating. Overall, Prudential has garnered a mixed array of ratings, with one sell, ten holds, one buy, and one strong buy designation, resulting in an average rating of 'Hold' with a target price of $125.46.

About Prudential Financial

Prudential Financial, Inc. is a well-established company that offers a variety of insurance, investment management, and financial products and services globally. Its operations are segmented into several areas including PGIM, Retirement Strategies, Group Insurance, Individual Life, and International Businesses.

investment, portfolio, dividend