Norges Bank's New Investment in The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.

Norges Bank has established a new stake in The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (NYSE:GS) during the fourth quarter, based on its recent report to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institution acquired 2,799,964 shares of this investment management company, with an estimated total worth of about $1,603,315,000. Following this acquisition, Norges Bank holds approximately 0.90% of the total shares of The Goldman Sachs Group.

Recent Institutional Activity

In addition to Norges Bank, several other hedge funds and institutional investors have also recently adjusted their positions in The Goldman Sachs Group. For instance, Blair William & Co. IL increased its stake by 8.4% in the fourth quarter, now owning 155,915 shares valued at $89,280,000 after acquiring an additional 12,091 shares. Meanwhile, LM Advisors LLC raised its position by 5.9%, owning a total of 3,572 shares worth $2,045,000 after an added 199 shares during the period. Homestead Advisers Corp increased its holdings by 1.0%, bringing their total to 265,536 shares valued at $152,051,000. NEOS Investment Management LLC saw a significant increase of 30.0% in their share ownership, totaling 16,323 shares worth $9,347,000 after acquiring 3,764 additional shares. Lastly, UniSuper Management Pty Ltd grew its stake by 2.5% to 98,278 shares valued at $56,276,000, thanks to an additional acquisition of 2,366 shares. Overall, institutional investors now own 71.21% of the company's stock.

Stock Performance Overview

The stock of The Goldman Sachs Group opened at $573.37 on a recent Thursday. The company reports a quick ratio and current ratio of 0.67, with a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.32. Over the past year, shares have fluctuated between a low of $387.12 and a high of $672.19. The average price over the last 50 days is $610.88, while the 200-day average sits at $570.63. The firm's market capitalization is $178.91 billion, with a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.14 and a PEG ratio of 0.89, along with a beta of 1.37.

Recent Earnings Report

The Goldman Sachs Group recently released its earnings report, indicating earnings per share (EPS) of $11.95 for the quarter, surpassing the expected EPS of $8.21 by $3.74. The company reported a net margin of 11.32% and a return on equity of 13.30%. Revenue figures were recorded at $13.87 billion, exceeding analysts' projections of $12.36 billion, marking a 22.5% increase compared to the same quarter of the previous year. Analysts anticipate that The Goldman Sachs Group will report an EPS of 47.12 for the ongoing fiscal year.

Dividend Declaration

Additionally, The Goldman Sachs Group has recently announced a quarterly dividend, which is scheduled for distribution on March 28th. Stockholders registered on February 28th will receive a dividend payment of $3.00. The ex-dividend date falls on the same day. This dividend amounts to an annualized sum of $12.00, resulting in a yield of 2.09%. The current dividend payout ratio stands at 29.59%.

Analyst Ratings

A number of analysts have made recent evaluations of The Goldman Sachs Group. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods downgraded the stock from an "outperform" rating to a "market perform" rating, lowering the price target from $690.00 to $660.00. Furthermore, Oppenheimer followed suit with a similar downgrade. Conversely, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target from $605.00 to $625.00, maintaining an "overweight" rating. Barclays also increased their price target from $713.00 to $760.00, retaining their "overweight" status. UBS Group lifted their target price from $610.00 to $640.00 while assigning a "neutral" rating. Currently, ten analysts suggest a hold rating, while eight endorse a buy rating. The consensus appears to favor a hold rating with an average target price of $593.27.

Insider Transactions

In recent news regarding insider trading, Kathryn H. Ruemmler, an insider of The Goldman Sachs Group, sold 7,498 shares on January 21st for an average price of $634.69, totaling approximately $4,758,905.62. Following this transaction, she retains a direct ownership of 9,589 shares valued at about $6,086,042.41, which represents a decrease of 43.88% in her ownership. Additionally, Treasurer Carey Halio sold 1,545 shares on the same date for an average price of $624.67, yielding $965,115.15, which also marked a 15.87% reduction in her shares. Insider trading activity shows that a total of 19,925 shares have been sold over the last quarter, equating to a value of $12,630,683, with only 0.54% of the stock being held by insiders.

About The Goldman Sachs Group

The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. is a prominent financial institution that provides a range of financial services to corporations, financial institutions, governments, and individuals globally. The firm operates through segments including Global Banking & Markets, Asset & Wealth Management, and Platform Solutions. The Global Banking & Markets segment offers financial advisory services for mergers and acquisitions, corporate divestitures, and lending options that include relationship and acquisition financing.

Investment, Acquisition, Earnings