Barclays PLC Sells 251,684 Shares of Prudential Financial, Inc. $PRU

Barclays PLC trimmed its position in shares of Prudential Financial, Inc. (NYSE:PRU) by 13.7% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 1,580,742 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after selling 251,684 shares during the quarter. Barclays PLC owned 0.45% of Prudential Financial worth $163,986,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Darwin Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in Prudential Financial in the second quarter worth about $36,000. Chilton Capital Management LLC increased its position in shares of Prudential Financial by 146.5% during the 3rd quarter. Chilton Capital Management LLC now owns 350 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $36,000 after purchasing an additional 208 shares during the last quarter. AlphaCore Capital LLC purchased a new position in shares of Prudential Financial in the second quarter worth approximately $39,000. Capital A Wealth Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Prudential Financial by 4,600.0% in the second quarter. Capital A Wealth Management LLC now owns 376 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $39,000 after buying an additional 368 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Elevation Point Wealth Partners LLC bought a new stake in Prudential Financial during the second quarter valued at approximately $51,000. 56.83% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have weighed in on PRU shares. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Prudential Financial from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Monday, January 12th. Wells Fargo & Company downgraded shares of Prudential Financial from an “equal weight” rating to an “underweight” rating and cut their price objective for the company from $115.00 to $103.00 in a research report on Wednesday, February 25th. Morgan Stanley decreased their target price on Prudential Financial from $120.00 to $111.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, March 3rd. Mizuho lowered their target price on Prudential Financial from $126.00 to $113.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, February 10th. Finally, Evercore reissued a “negative” rating on shares of Prudential Financial in a report on Friday. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have assigned a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Prudential Financial has an average rating of “Reduce” and an average price target of $115.00.

Trending Headlines about Prudential Financial

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

• Positive Sentiment: Dividend/total-return narratives and bullish dividend-appeal articles remind income-focused investors of PRU’s attractive yield and could support buying interest. Prudential (PRU) Could Be a Great Choice
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst consensus sits around “Hold” and coverage notes the stock’s recent weakness; this provides little directional catalyst but frames expectations. Prudential Financial, Inc. (NYSE:PRU) Receives Average Recommendation of “Hold” from Analysts
• Neutral Sentiment: Options-market flow has shown elevated activity, signaling increased volatility expectations but not a clear directional bet — watch implied vol and large strikes for clues to near-term moves. Is the Options Market Predicting a Spike in PRU Stock?
• Negative Sentiment: Prudential’s Japanese subsidiary reported employees improperly removed/shared information with contracted agencies — a data-handling incident that creates operational, regulatory and reputational risk in Asia and is a clear near-term negative for sentiment. Prudential Japan Subsidiary Finds Employees Improperly Shared Information
• Negative Sentiment: Follow-ups and regional updates (Prudential Gibraltar/Japan) provide more detail on the scope (multiple seconded employees implicated), reinforcing uncertainty around compliance and potential costs. Prudential Gibraltar Addresses Data Handling Incident in Japan
• Negative Sentiment: Recent analyst moves have trimmed targets: Morgan Stanley cut its PRU price target (and kept an Equal Weight) and Wells Fargo downgraded to Underweight and lowered its target — analyst downgrades reduce buying conviction and can pressure the stock. Morgan Stanley Reduces Prudential Financial (PRU) Price Target after Updating Insurance Estimates
• Negative Sentiment: Wells Fargo’s downgrade and lower target (cites lack of near-term catalysts) adds to the sell-side pressure and helps explain recent share weakness. Wells Fargo Downgrades Prudential Financial, Inc. (PRU) to Underweight and Lowers its Price Target to $103

Insider Transactions at Prudential Financial

In related news, EVP Caroline Feeney sold 6,555 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, December 11th. The stock was 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 trade represents a 22.54% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director Joseph J. Wolk bought 400 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 11th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $105.32 per share, for a total transaction of $42,128.00. Following the purchase, the director directly owned 400 shares in the company, valued at $42,128. This trade represents a ∞ increase in their position. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Over the last 90 days, insiders have purchased 1,408,389 shares of company stock valued at $35,154,439. 0.25% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Prudential Financial Stock Performance

PRU opened at $97.08 on Friday. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $107.68 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $107.07. 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 firm has a market cap of $33.78 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.71, a PEG ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 0.98. Prudential Financial, Inc. has a 1-year low of $90.38 and a 1-year 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). The firm had revenue of $15.69 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $14.48 billion. Prudential Financial had a net margin of 6.20% and a return on equity of 16.32%. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $2.96 earnings per share. Equities analysts forecast that Prudential Financial, Inc. will post 14.36 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Prudential Financial Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 12th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, February 17th will be given a $1.40 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, February 17th. This is a positive change from Prudential Financial’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.35. This represents a $5.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.8%. Prudential Financial’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 56.00%.

Prudential Financial 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.