Ariel Investments LLC Sells 35,014 Shares of The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (NYSE:GS)

Ariel Investments LLC lessened its holdings in shares of The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (NYSE:GS) by 23.0% in the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 117,477 shares of the investment management company’s stock after selling 35,014 shares during the quarter. Ariel Investments LLC’s holdings in The Goldman Sachs Group were worth $67,270,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Stephens Consulting LLC acquired a new stake in shares of The Goldman Sachs Group in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Asset Planning Inc acquired a new stake in shares of The Goldman Sachs Group during the fourth quarter worth about $29,000. Curio Wealth LLC bought a new position in The Goldman Sachs Group in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Transce3nd LLC acquired a new position in The Goldman Sachs Group in the 4th quarter worth $31,000. Finally, Whipplewood Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of The Goldman Sachs Group during the fourth quarter worth about $34,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 71.21% of the company’s stock.

The Goldman Sachs Group Stock Up 2.3 %

GS stock opened at $566.78 on Friday. The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. has a 1-year low of $434.92 and a 1-year high of $672.19. The business’s 50 day simple moving average is $540.70 and its 200 day simple moving average is $574.80. The company has a current ratio of 0.67, a quick ratio of 0.67 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.32. The firm has a market capitalization of $176.86 billion, a PE ratio of 13.98, a PEG ratio of 0.89 and a beta of 1.33.

The Goldman Sachs Group (NYSE:GS) last released its quarterly earnings data on Monday, April 14th. The investment management company reported $14.12 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $12.57 by $1.55. The firm had revenue of $15.06 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $14.99 billion. The Goldman Sachs Group had a net margin of 11.32% and a return on equity of 13.30%. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $11.58 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts anticipate that The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. will post 47.12 EPS for the current year.

The Goldman Sachs Group Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 27th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 30th will be issued a $3.00 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 30th. This represents a $12.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.12%. The Goldman Sachs Group’s dividend payout ratio is currently 27.85%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director John B. Hess bought 3,904 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, April 15th. The shares were bought at an average price of $511.68 per share, for a total transaction of $1,997,598.72. Following the completion of the purchase, the director now owns 3,904 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,997,598.72. This trade represents a ∞ increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.55% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. UBS Group raised their price target on shares of The Goldman Sachs Group from $610.00 to $640.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 21st. Barclays decreased their target price on shares of The Goldman Sachs Group from $760.00 to $720.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, April 15th. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price target on shares of The Goldman Sachs Group from $680.00 to $650.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, April 15th. Morgan Stanley set a $558.00 price objective on The Goldman Sachs Group and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Monday, April 7th. Finally, Daiwa America lowered The Goldman Sachs Group from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, April 4th. Thirteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $593.40.

The Goldman Sachs Group Profile

The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc, a financial institution, provides a range of financial services for corporations, financial institutions, governments, and individuals worldwide. It operates through Global Banking & Markets, Asset & Wealth Management, and Platform Solutions segments. The Global Banking & Markets segment provides financial advisory services, including strategic advisory assignments related to mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, corporate defense activities, restructurings, and spin-offs; and relationship lending, and acquisition financing, as well as secured lending, through structured credit and asset-backed lending and involved in financing under securities to resale agreements.