Ally Financial (NYSE:ALLY) Sets New 12-Month High – Still a Buy?

Ally Financial Inc. (NYSE:ALLY) shares reached a new 52-week high on Monday . The stock traded as high as $47.28 and last traded at $46.7950, with a volume of 596 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $47.17.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts recently commented on ALLY shares. Morgan Stanley lifted their price objective on Ally Financial from $53.00 to $55.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, April 20th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their target price on Ally Financial from $48.00 to $46.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, April 9th. Bank of America boosted their price target on Ally Financial from $51.00 to $52.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, April 10th. Barclays upped their price target on shares of Ally Financial from $54.00 to $56.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Monday, April 20th. Finally, Evercore reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $54.00 price objective on shares of Ally Financial in a report on Tuesday, April 21st. Fourteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Ally Financial currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $53.50.

Ally Financial Stock Down 0.8%

The company has a quick ratio of 0.93, a current ratio of 0.93 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.31. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $43.73 and a 200-day simple moving average of $42.60. The firm has a market cap of $14.35 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.42, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.29 and a beta of 1.10.

Ally Financial (NYSE:ALLY) last released its quarterly earnings data on Friday, April 17th. The financial services provider reported $1.11 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.93 by $0.18. The business had revenue of $2.18 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.14 billion. Ally Financial had a return on equity of 11.41% and a net margin of 16.47%.The company’s revenue was up 36.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.58 EPS. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Ally Financial Inc. will post 5.26 earnings per share for the current year.

Ally Financial Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 15th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 1st were paid a dividend of $0.30 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 1st. This represents a $1.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.6%. Ally Financial’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 29.27%.

Insider Transactions at Ally Financial

In related news, insider Douglas R. Timmerman sold 39,675 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, April 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $45.17, for a total transaction of $1,792,119.75. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 477,627 shares in the company, valued at $21,574,411.59. This represents a 7.67% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, insider Stephanie N. Richard sold 5,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $42.14, for a total transaction of $210,700.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 93,927 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,958,083.78. This represents a 5.05% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Company insiders own 0.46% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Ally Financial

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Wellington Management Group LLP raised its position in Ally Financial by 19.5% during the 4th quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 14,271,290 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $646,347,000 after buying an additional 2,332,610 shares during the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its holdings in shares of Ally Financial by 3.6% in the 1st quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 9,018,580 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $353,776,000 after acquiring an additional 309,638 shares during the last quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership increased its stake in shares of Ally Financial by 11.7% in the first quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 6,783,947 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $266,134,000 after acquiring an additional 712,443 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Ally Financial by 4.7% in the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 5,381,838 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $243,795,000 after acquiring an additional 241,000 shares during the period. Finally, Thrivent Financial for Lutherans raised its holdings in shares of Ally Financial by 0.5% during the fourth quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans now owns 3,867,023 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $175,137,000 after purchasing an additional 20,198 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 88.76% of the company’s stock.

About Ally Financial

Ally Financial Inc is a leading digital financial services company headquartered in Detroit, Michigan. The company offers a comprehensive suite of banking, lending, and insurance products designed for retail and commercial customers. Through its online-only platform, Ally Bank provides checking and savings accounts, certificates of deposit, money market accounts, and home mortgages, emphasizing competitive rates and user-friendly mobile and web experiences.

In addition to its banking operations, Ally Financial is a major player in automotive financing and leasing.