Citigroup Inc. $C Stock Position Lifted by MML Investors Services LLC

MML Investors Services LLC grew its position in shares of Citigroup Inc. (NYSE:C) by 8.5% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 365,461 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 28,696 shares during the period. MML Investors Services LLC’s holdings in Citigroup were worth $42,646,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Citigroup by 3.1% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 163,239,926 shares of the company’s stock worth $19,048,467,000 after purchasing an additional 4,938,923 shares during the last quarter. Capital World Investors lifted its holdings in shares of Citigroup by 6.5% in the 3rd quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 47,262,626 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,797,292,000 after purchasing an additional 2,871,074 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Citigroup by 0.4% in the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 43,252,372 shares of the company’s stock worth $5,036,712,000 after purchasing an additional 189,548 shares during the last quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Citigroup by 4.0% in the 4th quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 34,196,783 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,990,422,000 after purchasing an additional 1,326,224 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Fisher Asset Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Citigroup by 2.6% in the 4th quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 33,887,285 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,954,307,000 after purchasing an additional 846,772 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 71.72% of the company’s stock.

Citigroup Trading Up 1.0%

Shares of C opened at $141.18 on Tuesday. Citigroup Inc. has a 12-month low of $76.95 and a 12-month high of $143.56. The company has a quick ratio of 0.99, a current ratio of 0.99 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.59. The firm has a market capitalization of $240.80 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.49, a P/E/G ratio of 0.62 and a beta of 1.12. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $127.86 and its 200 day moving average price is $118.47.

Citigroup (NYSE:C) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 14th. The company reported $3.06 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.63 by $0.43. The company had revenue of $24.63 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $22.96 billion. Citigroup had a return on equity of 9.19% and a net margin of 9.35%.The company’s revenue was up 14.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.96 EPS. As a group, research analysts predict that Citigroup Inc. will post 10.68 earnings per share for the current year.

Citigroup Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 22nd. Investors of record on Monday, May 4th were given a dividend of $0.60 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, May 4th. This represents a $2.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.7%. Citigroup’s dividend payout ratio is 29.74%.

Citigroup announced that its board has initiated a share repurchase plan on Thursday, May 7th that authorizes the company to repurchase $30.00 billion in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the company to buy up to 13.7% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are usually an indication that the company’s board believes its shares are undervalued.

More Citigroup News

Here are the key news stories impacting Citigroup this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Citigroup’s CFO reportedly outlined revenue growth expectations above analyst forecasts, while the bank’s push into blockchain-based trading for private equity has reinforced optimism about its long-term growth opportunities.
• Positive Sentiment: Jim Cramer said he was “very bullish” on Citigroup, adding to upbeat sentiment around the stock and the leadership team. Article: Jim Cramer on Citigroup: “Very Bullish”
• Positive Sentiment: Citigroup completed the sale of its Polish consumer banking business, marking the final exit from its non-core international consumer banking operations and signaling continued progress on simplification and capital focus. Article: C Sheds Polish Arm, Marks Final Exit From Nore-Core Consumer Business
• Positive Sentiment: Market commentary noted that Citigroup has been showing strong momentum, with investors rotating toward defensive financials and some trade structures targeting further upside while limiting downside risk. Article: Bullish Spread Targets Citigroup Stock Momentum With Limited Risk
• Neutral Sentiment: Citi was also mentioned in broader financial-news coverage, including a comparison of bank stocks and a note that Jane Fraser remains a highly visible industry leader. These items may support the stock’s profile, but they are less direct catalysts.
• Negative Sentiment: One Citi research note cut Brent crude forecasts, which could be a modest headwind for energy-related trading and macro expectations, though the impact on Citigroup shares appears limited. Article: Citi cuts Brent forecasts as U.S.-Iran MoU points to Strait of Hormuz flow normalization

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms recently commented on C. Barclays raised their target price on Citigroup from $146.00 to $154.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 15th. Wall Street Zen raised Citigroup from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, May 9th. Oppenheimer reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $145.00 target price on shares of Citigroup in a research note on Friday, May 8th. Evercore set a $139.00 target price on Citigroup in a research note on Wednesday, April 15th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $139.00 target price on shares of Citigroup in a report on Wednesday, April 15th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have assigned a Buy rating and five have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $137.62.

Insider Buying and Selling at Citigroup

In related news, Director John Cunningham Dugan sold 2,117 shares of Citigroup stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $125.30, for a total value of $265,260.10. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 12,194 shares in the company, valued at $1,527,908.20. This trade represents a 14.79% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, insider Edward Skyler sold 25,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, April 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $131.41, for a total value of $3,285,250.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 182,022 shares in the company, valued at approximately $23,919,511.02. This trade represents a 12.08% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 0.11% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Citigroup Profile

Citigroup Inc is a global financial services company headquartered in New York City with roots tracing back to the City Bank of New York, founded in 1812. The modern Citigroup was created through the 1998 merger of Citicorp and Travelers Group and has since operated as a diversified bank holding company that provides a broad range of banking and financial products and services to consumers, corporations, governments and institutions worldwide.

Citi’s principal businesses include retail and commercial banking, credit card and consumer lending products, wealth management and private banking, and a full suite of institutional services.