Prudential Financial (NYSE:PRU) Price Target Cut to $113.00 by Analysts at Mizuho

Prudential Financial (NYSE:PRU) had its price objective lowered by Mizuho from $126.00 to $113.00 in a research note published on Tuesday morning,Benzinga reports. Mizuho currently has a neutral rating on the financial services provider’s stock.

Other research analysts have also recently issued reports about the company. Weiss Ratings raised Prudential Financial from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Monday, January 12th. UBS Group upped their price target on Prudential Financial from $111.00 to $116.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, January 8th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price objective on shares of Prudential Financial from $133.00 to $127.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on shares of Prudential Financial from $113.00 to $115.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 13th. Finally, Evercore dropped their target price on shares of Prudential Financial from $122.00 to $110.00 and set an “in-line” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and ten have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $117.11.

Prudential Financial Price Performance

PRU stock opened at $103.25 on Tuesday. The business’s 50-day moving average is $112.22 and its two-hundred day moving average is $107.40. 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 capitalization of $36.14 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.33, a P/E/G ratio of 1.16 and a beta of 0.97. Prudential Financial has a 1 year low of $90.38 and a 1 year high of $119.76.

Prudential Financial (NYSE:PRU) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 3rd. The financial services provider reported $3.30 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.37 by ($0.07). Prudential Financial had a return on equity of 16.32% and a net margin of 6.20%.The firm had revenue of $14.52 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $14.48 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $2.96 EPS. Analysts anticipate that Prudential Financial will post 14.36 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Prudential Financial Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 12th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, February 17th will be issued a $1.40 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, February 17th. This is a positive change from Prudential Financial’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.35. This represents a $5.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.4%. Prudential Financial’s dividend payout ratio is currently 54.00%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, SVP Timothy L. Schmidt sold 8,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, December 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $107.69, for a total value of $861,520.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president owned 11,535 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,242,204.15. The trade was a 40.95% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Jacques Chappuis purchased 1,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 6th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $100.97 per share, with a total value of $100,970.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the executive vice president owned 1,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $100,970. This trade represents a ∞ increase in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. 0.25% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Prudential Financial

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Salomon & Ludwin LLC lifted its position 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 purchasing an additional 114 shares during the period. Lodestone Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Prudential Financial during the 4th quarter worth approximately $28,000. Coston McIsaac & Partners boosted its stake in shares of Prudential Financial by 93.4% in the fourth quarter. Coston McIsaac & Partners now owns 265 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 128 shares in the last quarter. Basepoint Wealth LLC acquired a new position in Prudential Financial during the fourth quarter worth $30,000. Finally, Wealth Watch Advisors INC purchased a new position in Prudential Financial in the third quarter worth $30,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 56.83% of the company’s stock.

Trending Headlines about Prudential Financial

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

• Positive Sentiment: Board addition strengthens governance — Prudential elected Maryann T. Mannen (Marathon CEO) to its board, adding 30+ years of operational and financial experience and placing her on governance and compensation committees. This can be viewed positively for strategy and oversight. Business Wire: Mannen Joins Board
• Positive Sentiment: Insider buying signals confidence — EVP Jacques Chappuis purchased 1,000 shares at ~$100.97 on Feb. 6, a public insider buy that investors typically view as a sign management has conviction in the stock near current levels. InsiderTrades: EVP Purchase
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend increase supports income thesis — Prudential announced a higher quarterly dividend ($1.40 vs. prior $1.35; annualized $5.60, ~5.5% yield), which bolsters appeal to yield-focused investors and can provide downside support. MarketBeat: Dividend & Company Update
• Neutral Sentiment: Street consensus remains cautious — Recent broker coverage averages to a “Hold.” That implies limited near-term analyst-driven upside catalysts absent operational beats or multiple re-ratings. American Banking News: Broker Recommendations
• Negative Sentiment: Price target cut by Mizuho — Mizuho lowered its PRU price target from $126 to $113 while keeping a “neutral” rating; that reduces the analyst-implied upside and may weigh on sentiment. Benzinga: Mizuho Lowers Target
• Negative Sentiment: Recent EPS missed estimates — Q4 EPS of $3.30 missed consensus ($3.37), which can pressure near-term multiple expansion until earnings consistency returns. MarketBeat: Q4 Results
• Negative Sentiment: Reports of insider selling raise caution — Coverage flagged insider disposals in recent weeks; while some insiders are buying, mixed insider activity can create short-term uncertainty for sentiment. Yahoo Finance: Insider Disposals

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.