Fidelity National Financial (NYSE:FNF) Reaches New 52-Week High – Should You Buy?

Fidelity National Financial, Inc. (NYSE:FNF)’s share price hit a new 52-week high during trading on Tuesday . The stock traded as high as $65.79 and last traded at $65.65, with a volume of 411994 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $64.88.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms recently weighed in on FNF. Barclays boosted their target price on Fidelity National Financial from $61.00 to $67.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Monday, February 24th. Stephens boosted their price objective on shares of Fidelity National Financial from $68.00 to $75.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, February 24th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reduced their target price on shares of Fidelity National Financial from $64.00 to $63.00 and set a “market perform” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, January 8th. StockNews.com cut shares of Fidelity National Financial from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 4th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded shares of Fidelity National Financial from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and upped their price target for the company from $76.00 to $77.00 in a research report on Friday, January 3rd. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $70.40.

Fidelity National Financial Stock Down 0.9 %

The company has a market capitalization of $17.79 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.92 and a beta of 1.32. The company has a current ratio of 0.24, a quick ratio of 0.24 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.47. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $60.48 and its 200 day moving average is $59.99.

Fidelity National Financial (NYSE:FNF) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 20th. The financial services provider reported $1.34 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.23 by $0.11. The firm had revenue of $3.62 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.33 billion. Fidelity National Financial had a net margin of 9.28% and a return on equity of 15.36%. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $0.75 earnings per share. Research analysts predict that Fidelity National Financial, Inc. will post 6.28 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Fidelity National Financial Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 31st. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 17th will be issued a $0.50 dividend. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.09%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 17th. Fidelity National Financial’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 43.01%.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Halim Dhanidina sold 2,800 shares of Fidelity National Financial stock in a transaction on Friday, January 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $54.85, for a total value of $153,580.00. Following the sale, the director now owns 16,716 shares in the company, valued at $916,872.60. The trade was a 14.35 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Insiders own 5.20% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Fidelity National Financial

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Commerce Bank raised its stake in Fidelity National Financial by 3.5% in the third quarter. Commerce Bank now owns 5,991 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $372,000 after buying an additional 200 shares in the last quarter. Chesley Taft & Associates LLC grew its holdings in shares of Fidelity National Financial by 1.2% during the 4th quarter. Chesley Taft & Associates LLC now owns 16,686 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $937,000 after acquiring an additional 200 shares during the period. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System lifted its stake in shares of Fidelity National Financial by 0.3% in the 4th quarter. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System now owns 72,200 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $4,053,000 after purchasing an additional 200 shares during the period. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust boosted its position in shares of Fidelity National Financial by 50.6% during the fourth quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 622 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $35,000 after purchasing an additional 209 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Essex Financial Services Inc. grew its stake in Fidelity National Financial by 5.3% in the fourth quarter. Essex Financial Services Inc. now owns 4,206 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $236,000 after purchasing an additional 211 shares during the period. 81.17% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Fidelity National Financial Company Profile

Fidelity National Financial, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, provides various insurance products in the United States. The company operates through Title, F&G, and Corporate and Other segments. It offers title insurance, escrow, and other title related services, including trust activities, trustee sales guarantees, recordings and reconveyances, and home warranty products.