Voya Financial, Inc. (NYSE:VOYA) Given Consensus Recommendation of “Hold” by Brokerages

Shares of Voya Financial, Inc. (NYSE:VOYA) have received a consensus recommendation of “Hold” from the thirteen analysts that are covering the firm, Marketbeat reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, five have issued a hold recommendation and seven have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average 1 year target price among analysts that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $81.92.

A number of equities research analysts recently commented on the stock. UBS Group lowered their price target on shares of Voya Financial from $89.00 to $88.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Friday, May 23rd. Barclays set a $70.00 price objective on shares of Voya Financial in a research report on Wednesday, May 7th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on shares of Voya Financial from $69.00 to $76.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, May 8th. Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on Voya Financial from $70.00 to $86.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, May 19th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upped their price target on Voya Financial from $80.00 to $83.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 13th.

Voya Financial Price Performance

VOYA stock opened at $68.06 on Wednesday. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $62.59 and a 200-day moving average of $68.16. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.55 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.12, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.48 and a beta of 0.99. Voya Financial has a 12 month low of $52.43 and a 12 month high of $84.30. The company has a current ratio of 0.30, a quick ratio of 0.31 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.59.

Voya Financial (NYSE:VOYA) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, May 6th. The asset manager reported $2.15 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.59 by $0.56. Voya Financial had a net margin of 8.29% and a return on equity of 14.10%. The business had revenue of $1.97 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.94 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $1.77 earnings per share. Voya Financial’s revenue for the quarter was down 4.0% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Voya Financial will post 8.39 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Voya Financial Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 26th. Investors of record on Tuesday, May 27th will be issued a $0.45 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, May 27th. This represents a $1.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.64%. Voya Financial’s payout ratio is currently 33.96%.

Insider Activity

In other Voya Financial news, Director Yvette S. Butler sold 1,700 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $66.18, for a total value of $112,506.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 355 shares in the company, valued at approximately $23,493.90. This trade represents a 82.73% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.99% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Voya Financial

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Jones Financial Companies Lllp boosted its position in Voya Financial by 81.0% in the 4th quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 409 shares of the asset manager’s stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 183 shares in the last quarter. SRS Capital Advisors Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Voya Financial by 207.0% in the 4th quarter. SRS Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 485 shares of the asset manager’s stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 327 shares during the period. Quarry LP purchased a new stake in Voya Financial during the fourth quarter worth $37,000. Venturi Wealth Management LLC grew its position in Voya Financial by 45.0% during the fourth quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC now owns 648 shares of the asset manager’s stock valued at $45,000 after buying an additional 201 shares during the period. Finally, BI Asset Management Fondsmaeglerselskab A S purchased a new position in Voya Financial in the first quarter valued at $47,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 96.10% of the company’s stock.

Voya Financial Company Profile

Voya Financial, Inc engages in the provision of workplace benefits and savings products in the United States and internationally. The company operates through three segments: Wealth Solutions, Health Solutions, and Investment Management. The Wealth Solutions segment offers full-service retirement products; recordkeeping services; stable value and fixed general account investment products; non-qualified plan administration services; and tools, guidance, and services to promote the financial well-being and retirement security of employees.