Prudential Financial, Inc. (NYSE:PRU) Receives Consensus Rating of “Reduce” from Analysts

Shares of Prudential Financial, Inc. (NYSE:PRU) have earned an average rating of “Reduce” from the sixteen brokerages that are covering the company, MarketBeat reports. Five analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation and eleven have given a hold recommendation to the company. The average 12 month price target among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $101.50.

Several research firms recently weighed in on PRU. Barclays lifted their price objective on shares of Prudential Financial from $89.00 to $90.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. Morgan Stanley reissued an “underweight” rating and set a $92.00 price objective (down from $106.00) on shares of Prudential Financial in a research note on Monday, May 4th. Mizuho lifted their price objective on shares of Prudential Financial from $96.00 to $101.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. Zacks Research raised shares of Prudential Financial from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, June 12th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lifted their price objective on shares of Prudential Financial from $100.00 to $106.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 13th.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of PRU. Jessup Wealth Management Inc bought a new position in Prudential Financial in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Garton & Associates Financial Advisors LLC bought a new position in Prudential Financial in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Salomon & Ludwin LLC lifted its stake in Prudential Financial by 98.3% in the fourth quarter. Salomon & Ludwin LLC now owns 230 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $27,000 after buying an additional 114 shares in the last quarter. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. lifted its stake in Prudential Financial by 93.1% in the first quarter. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. now owns 278 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $27,000 after buying an additional 134 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Lodestone Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in Prudential Financial in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Institutional investors own 56.83% of the company’s stock.

Prudential Financial Stock Up 0.3%

Shares of NYSE:PRU opened at $106.86 on Friday. Prudential Financial has a one year low of $91.89 and a one year high of $119.76. The company has a 50 day moving average of $101.55 and a 200-day moving average of $104.34. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.58, a current ratio of 0.16 and a quick ratio of 0.16. The stock has a market cap of $37.08 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.99, a P/E/G ratio of 1.93 and a beta of 0.86.

Prudential Financial (NYSE:PRU) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, May 5th. The financial services provider reported $3.61 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.09 by $0.52. Prudential Financial had a net margin of 5.83% and a return on equity of 16.33%. The company had revenue of $15.23 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $14.10 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $3.29 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Prudential Financial will post 13.78 earnings per share for the current year.

Prudential Financial Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, June 11th. Investors of record on Tuesday, May 26th were paid a dividend of $1.40 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, May 26th. This represents a $5.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 5.2%. Prudential Financial’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 57.61%.

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.