Guidewire Software, Inc. $GWRE Shares Acquired by Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC

Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC increased its holdings in Guidewire Software, Inc. (NYSE:GWRE) by 8.3% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 55,979 shares of the technology company’s stock after buying an additional 4,285 shares during the quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC owned about 0.07% of Guidewire Software worth $10,526,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in GWRE. IFP Advisors Inc boosted its position in Guidewire Software by 4.6% during the 3rd quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 1,104 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $254,000 after acquiring an additional 49 shares during the period. Earned Wealth Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Guidewire Software by 5.4% during the third quarter. Earned Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 989 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $227,000 after purchasing an additional 51 shares in the last quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC lifted its holdings in Guidewire Software by 9.3% in the third quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 624 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $145,000 after purchasing an additional 53 shares during the period. PDS Planning Inc grew its position in Guidewire Software by 6.4% in the 3rd quarter. PDS Planning Inc now owns 911 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $209,000 after buying an additional 55 shares in the last quarter. Finally, American Trust increased its stake in Guidewire Software by 3.9% during the 3rd quarter. American Trust now owns 1,632 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $375,000 after buying an additional 61 shares during the period.

Guidewire Software Trading Up 1.3%

Shares of GWRE opened at $151.34 on Friday. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $146.35 and its 200 day moving average price is $194.93. The company has a current ratio of 2.93, a quick ratio of 2.93 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45. The stock has a market capitalization of $12.81 billion, a P/E ratio of 68.79, a P/E/G ratio of 6.77 and a beta of 1.06. Guidewire Software, Inc. has a 1-year low of $120.37 and a 1-year high of $272.60.

Guidewire Software (NYSE:GWRE) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, March 5th. The technology company reported $1.17 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.77 by $0.40. The company had revenue of $359.10 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $342.88 million. Guidewire Software had a net margin of 14.11% and a return on equity of 13.44%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 24.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company posted $0.51 earnings per share. Analysts expect that Guidewire Software, Inc. will post 0.52 earnings per share for the current year.

Guidewire Software declared that its Board of Directors has authorized a share repurchase plan on Thursday, January 8th that allows the company to repurchase $500.00 million in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization allows the technology company to reacquire up to 3.1% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are often a sign that the company’s board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Guidewire Software from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Friday, March 13th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Guidewire Software in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. Wall Street Zen cut Guidewire Software from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, November 28th. Royal Bank Of Canada dropped their price target on shares of Guidewire Software from $300.00 to $250.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, March 6th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus reduced their price objective on shares of Guidewire Software from $300.00 to $250.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, March 6th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating, three have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $249.85.

Insider Activity at Guidewire Software

In other news, CAO David Franklin Peterson sold 273 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $163.86, for a total value of $44,733.78. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 12,533 shares in the company, valued at $2,053,657.38. This represents a 2.13% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, insider James Winston King sold 1,001 shares of Guidewire Software stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $163.86, for a total value of $164,023.86. Following the transaction, the insider owned 32,701 shares in the company, valued at $5,358,385.86. This represents a 2.97% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 31,695 shares of company stock worth $5,106,836. Insiders own 0.46% of the company’s stock.

Guidewire Software Company Profile

Guidewire Software, Inc develops software products and cloud services for property and casualty (P&C) insurance carriers. Headquartered in San Mateo, California, the company’s offerings are designed to help insurers manage the core functions of their business—policy administration, billing and claims—while supporting digital engagement, analytics and operational modernization.

Guidewire’s core product portfolio is commonly known as the InsuranceSuite, which includes PolicyCenter for policy administration, BillingCenter for billing and receivables, and ClaimCenter for claims management.