BlueStem Wealth Partners LLC Acquires Shares in Prudential Financial, Inc.

BlueStem Wealth Partners LLC has recently made a new investment in Prudential Financial, Inc. (NYSE:PRU - Free Report) by purchasing shares during the fourth quarter, as reported in their latest filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund acquired 3,597 shares, representing an investment valued at approximately $426,000.

In addition to BlueStem, other institutional investors have also been active in buying and selling Prudential Financial shares recently. For instance, Grove Bank & Trust significantly increased its stake in Prudential Financial by 65.9% during the fourth quarter, now owning 219 shares valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 87 shares in the past quarter. Similarly, Centricity Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in the company worth $29,000, while Ashton Thomas Securities LLC also made a new purchase valued at $31,000 in the third quarter. Another notable buyer, CGC Financial Services LLC, increased its stake in Prudential Financial by 82.1% in the fourth quarter, now holding 275 shares valued at $33,000 after obtaining an additional 124 shares. Lastly, Wingate Wealth Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in Prudential Financial valued at $33,000 during the same quarter. Altogether, hedge funds and other institutional investors own 56.83% of Prudential Financial's stock.

Analysts Adjust Price Targets

Several investment analysts have recently updated their price targets for Prudential Financial shares. Notably, Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective from $113.00 to $118.00, assigning the company an "equal weight" rating in a report published on February 19th. Piper Sandler lowered their price target from $127.00 to $124.00 and set a "neutral" rating in their report on January 16th. Furthermore, Jefferies Financial Group increased their price objective from $149.00 to $152.00, labeling the stock as a "buy" in a report from December 10th. TD Cowen also raised their price target from $130.00 to $133.00, giving the stock a "hold" rating in their report from November 27th. Barclays similarly increased their price objective from $128.00 to $134.00 and assigned an "equal weight" rating on February 5th. Overall, one analyst has rated the stock as a sell, ten have a hold rating, one has a buy rating, and another has given a strong buy rating, leading to an average rating of "Hold" for Prudential Financial with an average price target of $126.15 according to data from MarketBeat.

Performance of Prudential Financial Stock

The stock of Prudential Financial opened at $115.07 on the last trading day. The company boasts a market capitalization of $41.20 billion, with a P/E ratio of 15.40, a PEG ratio of 0.98, and a beta of 1.31. Its liquidity indicators show a current ratio of 0.16 and a quick ratio of 0.16, accompanied by a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68. Prudential Financial's stock has a fifty-day moving average price of $116.35 and a 200-day moving average price of $119.84. Over the past year, the stock has experienced a low of $104.44 and a high of $130.55.

Quarterly Earnings Report

Prudential Financial recently released its quarterly earnings results on February 4th, reporting an EPS of $2.96, which fell short of the consensus estimate of $3.36 by $0.40. The company showcased a return on equity of 15.86% and maintained a net margin of 4.01%. Analysts project that Prudential Financial will achieve an earnings per share of 14.36 for the current year.

Recent Dividend Increase

Prudential Financial has also recently announced a quarterly dividend that is set to be paid out on March 13th. Shareholders of record on February 18th will receive $1.35 per share, marking an increase from the previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. This change reflects a $5.40 annual dividend, yielding 4.69%, with a current dividend payout ratio of 72.29%.

About Prudential Financial

Prudential Financial, Inc. operates in conjunction with its subsidiaries, offering a wide range of insurance, investment management, and other financial products and services both domestically in the United States and internationally. The company operates through several segments, including PGIM, Retirement Strategies, Group Insurance, Individual Life, and International Businesses.

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