iSAM Funds UK Ltd Invests $2.25 Million in Principal Financial Group, Inc. $PFG

iSAM Funds UK Ltd acquired a new stake in Principal Financial Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:PFG) in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor acquired 27,115 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,248,000.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in PFG. Traub Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Principal Financial Group in the 2nd quarter valued at about $26,000. Capital A Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in Principal Financial Group by 5,533.3% in the second quarter. Capital A Wealth Management LLC now owns 338 shares of the company’s stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 332 shares in the last quarter. Financial Consulate Inc. bought a new stake in Principal Financial Group in the third quarter valued at approximately $46,000. CYBER HORNET ETFs LLC acquired a new stake in Principal Financial Group in the second quarter worth $45,000. Finally, MUFG Securities EMEA plc acquired a new stake in Principal Financial Group in the second quarter worth $49,000. Institutional investors own 75.08% of the company’s stock.

Principal Financial Group Stock Down 0.4%

NASDAQ:PFG opened at $85.83 on Friday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $92.33 and a 200 day simple moving average of $86.68. Principal Financial Group, Inc. has a 52-week low of $68.39 and a 52-week high of $97.88. The company has a market cap of $18.61 billion, a PE ratio of 16.29, a PEG ratio of 0.80 and a beta of 0.87. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33, a quick ratio of 0.27 and a current ratio of 0.27.

Principal Financial Group (NASDAQ:PFG) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, February 18th. The company reported $2.20 EPS for the quarter. The firm had revenue of $4.58 billion for the quarter. Principal Financial Group had a return on equity of 16.09% and a net margin of 7.58%.

Principal Financial Group Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 27th. Investors of record on Wednesday, March 11th will be given a $0.80 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, March 11th. This represents a $3.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.7%. Principal Financial Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 60.72%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts recently commented on PFG shares. Weiss Ratings raised Principal Financial Group from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Barclays restated an “underweight” rating and issued a $85.00 price target on shares of Principal Financial Group in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Wells Fargo & Company upgraded Principal Financial Group from an “underweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and lifted their price objective for the company from $85.00 to $91.00 in a report on Wednesday, February 25th. UBS Group boosted their price objective on Principal Financial Group from $88.00 to $92.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. Finally, Morgan Stanley raised their target price on shares of Principal Financial Group from $93.00 to $95.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Tuesday, March 3rd. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Principal Financial Group currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $94.11.

Insider Transactions at Principal Financial Group

In other Principal Financial Group news, CEO Deanna D. Strable-Soethout sold 7,340 shares of Principal Financial Group stock in a transaction on Friday, January 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $95.00, for a total value of $697,300.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 136,828 shares in the company, valued at approximately $12,998,660. The trade was a 5.09% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 24,965 shares of company stock valued at $2,352,460. 1.08% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Principal Financial Group Company Profile

Principal Financial Group (NASDAQ: PFG) is a global financial services company headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa, that provides a range of retirement, investment and insurance solutions to individuals, employers and institutional clients. The firm’s business is organized around retirement services, asset management, and insurance products designed to help clients plan, invest for, and protect income over the long term.

Principal’s product and service offerings include retirement plan recordkeeping and administration for employer-sponsored plans, individual and group retirement annuities, life and disability insurance, employee benefits solutions, and wealth management services.