Principal Financial Group Inc. Sells 12,866 Shares of Prudential Financial, Inc. $PRU

Principal Financial Group Inc. cut its position in Prudential Financial, Inc. (NYSE:PRU) by 3.2% in the 3rd quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 390,959 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after selling 12,866 shares during the quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc.’s holdings in Prudential Financial were worth $40,558,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Brighton Jones LLC lifted its position in Prudential Financial by 3.7% in the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 3,681 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $436,000 after acquiring an additional 133 shares in the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC grew its stake in shares of Prudential Financial by 30.5% in the first quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 17,690 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $1,976,000 after acquiring an additional 4,134 shares during the period. Wealthcare Advisory Partners LLC raised its holdings in shares of Prudential Financial by 4.8% during the second quarter. Wealthcare Advisory Partners LLC now owns 4,546 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $488,000 after purchasing an additional 207 shares during the last quarter. KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS lifted its position in Prudential Financial by 1.9% during the second quarter. KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS now owns 123,350 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $13,253,000 after purchasing an additional 2,300 shares during the period. Finally, Shell Asset Management Co. boosted its holdings in Prudential Financial by 169.4% in the second quarter. Shell Asset Management Co. now owns 22,156 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $2,380,000 after purchasing an additional 13,933 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 56.83% of the company’s stock.

Prudential Financial Trading Down 2.3%

Shares of Prudential Financial stock opened at $99.79 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.58, a quick ratio of 0.16 and a current ratio of 0.16. The company has a fifty day moving average of $112.55 and a 200 day moving average of $107.39. The company has a market capitalization of $34.93 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.98, a P/E/G ratio of 1.13 and a beta of 0.97. Prudential Financial, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $90.38 and a fifty-two week high of $119.76.

Prudential Financial (NYSE:PRU) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 3rd. The financial services provider reported $3.30 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $3.37 by ($0.07). Prudential Financial had a net margin of 6.20% and a return on equity of 16.32%. The business had revenue of $14.52 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $14.48 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $2.96 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Prudential Financial, Inc. will post 14.36 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Prudential Financial Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 12th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, February 17th will be issued a dividend of $1.40 per share. This is an increase from Prudential Financial’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.35. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, February 17th. This represents a $5.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.6%. Prudential Financial’s payout ratio is 54.00%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

PRU has been the topic of a number of research reports. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised their price target on Prudential Financial from $117.00 to $118.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research note on Monday, November 3rd. UBS Group boosted their target price on shares of Prudential Financial from $111.00 to $116.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Prudential Financial from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research note on Monday, January 12th. Mizuho started coverage on Prudential Financial in a research note on Tuesday, December 16th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $125.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on Prudential Financial from $113.00 to $115.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 13th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and ten have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Prudential Financial has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $118.44.

Insider Activity at Prudential Financial

In related news, Chairman Charles F. Lowrey sold 48,164 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, November 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $107.39, for a total transaction of $5,172,331.96. Following the completion of the transaction, the chairman directly owned 165,564 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $17,779,917.96. This trade represents a 22.54% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Caroline Feeney sold 6,555 shares of Prudential Financial stock in a transaction on Thursday, December 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $116.28, for a total transaction of $762,215.40. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 22,523 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,618,974.44. This represents a 22.54% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last three months, insiders have sold 62,719 shares of company stock worth $6,796,067. 0.25% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

More Prudential Financial News

Here are the key news stories impacting Prudential Financial this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 profit rose on strong underwriting and investment gains, supporting underlying earnings power. Prudential Financial Reports Higher Q4 Profit
• Positive Sentiment: Company raised its dividend, a shareholder-friendly move that can support valuation over time. Prudential Financial (PRU) Is Down 5.1% After Dividend Hike And Japan Sales Halt News
• Positive Sentiment: Q4 revenue beat and management materials highlight operating strengths (presentation and call transcript available for detail). PRU Q4 Results – Earnings Call Presentation
• Neutral Sentiment: Fourth‑quarter results were broadly in line with expectations (EPS roughly flat to consensus), leaving guidance and capital moves as the next focus. Prudential reports Q4 in line with expectations
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts and media are re‑evaluating PRU’s valuation and narrative around capital allocation and targets—views are mixed, so investor sentiment may hinge on upcoming disclosures. A Look At Prudential Financial (PRU) Valuation After Mixed Q4 Results And Japan Sales Suspension
• Negative Sentiment: Prudential Life in Japan implemented a voluntary 90‑day suspension of new sales after an employee‑misconduct issue—this is a near‑term revenue and reputation headwind. Q4 earnings call transcript (includes Japan sales suspension discussion)
• Negative Sentiment: Asset‑management outflows and the Japan sales pause are highlighted as factors shaping the outlook and could pressure near‑term earnings and growth. PRU Q4 Deep Dive: Japan Sales Suspension and Asset Management Outflows Shape Outlook
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts cut price targets (Evercore ISI lowered to $110; JPMorgan trimmed its target), reducing some of the implied upside and signaling more cautious near‑term expectations. Price Target Lowered to $110.00 at Evercore ISI

Prudential Financial Company Profile

Prudential Financial, Inc, headquartered in Newark, New Jersey, is a diversified financial services company with roots dating to 1875. The firm provides a range of insurance, retirement and investment products aimed at helping individual and institutional clients manage risk, accumulate and protect wealth, and plan for retirement. Prudential’s long history in life insurance and related financial services has positioned it as a major participant in the U.S. insurance market and a provider of services to a broad client base.

Prudential’s core business activities include individual life insurance, annuities, retirement solutions and group insurance products for employers.