H&R Block (NYSE:HRB) Stock Bumped Up to “Strong-Buy” by Zacks Research

Zacks Research upgraded shares of H&R Block (NYSE:HRB) from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating in a research report report published on Monday,Zacks reports.

Other analysts have also recently issued reports about the stock. Stephens started coverage on shares of H&R Block in a research note on Tuesday, July 28th. They set an “equal weight” rating and a $47.00 price objective for the company. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their target price on shares of H&R Block from $29.00 to $33.00 and gave the stock a “sell” rating in a report on Wednesday, August 12th. Barrington Research boosted their target price on shares of H&R Block from $50.00 to $60.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 12th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c)” rating on shares of H&R Block in a report on Tuesday, September 29th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, one has issued a Buy rating, two have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, H&R Block has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $46.67.

H&R Block Stock Up 1.6%

H&R Block stock opened at $42.66 on Monday. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $47.16 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $39.83. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 12.69, a quick ratio of 1.13 and a current ratio of 1.13. The company has a market cap of $5.23 billion, a PE ratio of 7.46, a PEG ratio of 0.55 and a beta of 0.38. H&R Block has a fifty-two week low of $28.16 and a fifty-two week high of $58.67.

H&R Block (NYSE:HRB) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 11th. The company reported $2.38 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.21 by $0.17. The firm had revenue of $1.14 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.12 billion. H&R Block had a negative return on equity of 214.84% and a net margin of 18.59%.The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 255.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business posted $2.27 earnings per share. H&R Block has set its FY 2027 guidance at 6.040-6.240 EPS. Equities analysts anticipate that H&R Block will post 6.11 EPS for the current year.

H&R Block Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, October 6th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, September 3rd were given a $0.46 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, September 3rd. This represents a $1.84 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.3%. This is a boost from H&R Block’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.42. H&R Block’s payout ratio is currently 32.17%.

Insider Activity at H&R Block

In other news, insider Mark J. Darling sold 2,700 shares of H&R Block stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, September 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $40.69, for a total transaction of $109,863.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 21,588 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $878,415.72. The trade was a 11.12% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 0.67% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of H&R Block

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in HRB. Lazard Asset Management LLC increased its stake in shares of H&R Block by 50.9% in the 1st quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC now owns 3,761,094 shares of the company’s stock valued at $119,377,000 after purchasing an additional 1,269,064 shares in the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp acquired a new stake in H&R Block in the second quarter valued at approximately $56,220,000. First Trust Advisors LP increased its position in shares of H&R Block by 26.2% in the first quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 1,328,584 shares of the company’s stock valued at $42,169,000 after buying an additional 276,193 shares in the last quarter. Lodge Hill Capital LLC increased its position in shares of H&R Block by 31.2% in the first quarter. Lodge Hill Capital LLC now owns 1,050,000 shares of the company’s stock valued at $33,327,000 after buying an additional 250,000 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Boston Trust Walden Corp raised its stake in shares of H&R Block by 15.3% during the 1st quarter. Boston Trust Walden Corp now owns 895,236 shares of the company’s stock worth $28,415,000 after buying an additional 118,927 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 90.14% of the company’s stock.

About H&R Block

H&R Block, Inc is a tax preparation and financial services company that helps individuals and small businesses manage tax filing and related financial needs. Its services are delivered through company-owned and franchise offices, online platforms and tax-preparation software, providing both assisted and do-it-yourself filing options.

The company offers federal, state and local tax preparation, tax planning and related support, along with products and services such as refund-related financial solutions, tax identity protection and small-business assistance.