Ally Financial Inc. (NYSE:ALLY) Given Average Rating of “Moderate Buy” by Brokerages

Ally Financial Inc. (NYSE:ALLY) has been given an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by the seventeen ratings firms that are currently covering the stock, Marketbeat.com reports. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and thirteen have given a buy rating to the company. The average 12 month price target among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $51.6667.

ALLY has been the subject of several analyst reports. Evercore cut their price target on Ally Financial from $53.00 to $51.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. Weiss Ratings cut shares of Ally Financial from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 26th. Morgan Stanley set a $53.00 price objective on shares of Ally Financial and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, December 16th. TD Cowen restated a “buy” rating on shares of Ally Financial in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and issued a $55.00 target price on shares of Ally Financial in a report on Tuesday, January 6th.

Insider Activity at Ally Financial

In other Ally Financial news, CEO Michael George Rhodes acquired 23,800 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, January 23rd. The shares were purchased at an average price of $41.68 per share, with a total value of $991,984.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the chief executive officer directly owned 49,434 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,060,409.12. The trade was a 92.85% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CFO Russell E. Hutchinson acquired 11,566 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, January 27th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $43.17 per share, with a total value of $499,304.22. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 225,336 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $9,727,755.12. This represents a 5.41% increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. Insiders own 0.67% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Ally Financial

Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in ALLY. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. acquired a new stake in shares of Ally Financial in the fourth quarter valued at about $29,000. Mather Group LLC. purchased a new stake in Ally Financial during the third quarter worth about $31,000. Fideuram Asset Management Ireland dac acquired a new position in Ally Financial during the fourth quarter worth about $35,000. Safe Harbor Fiduciary LLC acquired a new position in Ally Financial during the fourth quarter worth about $37,000. Finally, Harvest Fund Management Co. Ltd purchased a new position in Ally Financial in the fourth quarter valued at about $38,000. 88.76% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Ally Financial Stock Performance

Shares of ALLY stock opened at $39.83 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $12.26 billion, a PE ratio of 16.95, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.20 and a beta of 1.14. Ally Financial has a 52-week low of $29.52 and a 52-week high of $47.27. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $40.13 and its 200 day moving average price is $41.31. The company has a quick ratio of 0.92, a current ratio of 0.92 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.30.

Ally Financial (NYSE:ALLY) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 21st. The financial services provider reported $1.09 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.01 by $0.08. Ally Financial had a return on equity of 10.40% and a net margin of 10.77%.The company had revenue of $2.17 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.15 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.78 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.8% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Ally Financial will post 3.57 EPS for the current year.

Ally Financial announced that its Board of Directors has authorized a share buyback plan on Wednesday, December 10th that allows the company to repurchase $2.00 billion in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization allows the financial services provider to reacquire up to 15.3% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are often a sign that the company’s management believes its shares are undervalued.

Ally Financial Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, February 17th. Investors of record on Monday, February 2nd were given a $0.30 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, February 2nd. This represents a $1.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.0%. Ally Financial’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 51.06%.

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.