9,000 Shares in Principal Financial Group, Inc. $PFG Purchased by Jefferies Financial Group Inc.

Jefferies Financial Group Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Principal Financial Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:PFG) in the third quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm bought 9,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $746,000.

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of PFG. Traub Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Principal Financial Group in the second quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Capital A Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in Principal Financial Group by 5,533.3% during the 2nd quarter. Capital A Wealth Management LLC now owns 338 shares of the company’s stock worth $27,000 after buying an additional 332 shares during the period. CYBER HORNET ETFs LLC purchased a new stake in Principal Financial Group during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $45,000. Financial Consulate Inc. acquired a new stake in Principal Financial Group during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $46,000. Finally, MUFG Securities EMEA plc purchased a new position in Principal Financial Group in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $49,000. 75.08% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Principal Financial Group Price Performance

Principal Financial Group stock opened at $86.19 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 0.27, a quick ratio of 0.27 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $92.40 and a 200-day simple moving average of $86.64. The stock has a market cap of $18.69 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.35, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.82 and a beta of 0.87. Principal Financial Group, Inc. has a 12-month low of $68.39 and a 12-month high of $97.88.

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

Principal Financial Group Announces Dividend

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

Insider Buying and Selling at Principal Financial Group

In other news, CEO Deanna D. Strable-Soethout sold 7,340 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $95.00, for a total transaction of $697,300.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 136,828 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $12,998,660. This trade represents a 5.09% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 24,965 shares of company stock worth $2,352,460. 1.08% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

PFG has been the subject of several research reports. UBS Group boosted their price target on shares of Principal Financial Group from $88.00 to $92.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. Barclays reiterated an “underweight” rating and issued a $85.00 target price on shares of Principal Financial Group in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Weiss Ratings upgraded Principal Financial Group from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Monday, December 29th. Morgan Stanley increased their price target on Principal Financial Group from $93.00 to $95.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 3rd. Finally, 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 research note on Wednesday, February 25th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $94.11.

About Principal Financial Group

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.