Fiserv, Inc. (NYSE:FI) Shares Sold by Associated Banc Corp

Associated Banc Corp lessened its stake in shares of Fiserv, Inc. (NYSE:FI) by 8.2% in the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 410,341 shares of the business services provider’s stock after selling 36,739 shares during the quarter. Fiserv comprises about 2.5% of Associated Banc Corp’s portfolio, making the stock its 8th largest holding. Associated Banc Corp’s holdings in Fiserv were worth $84,292,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Soros Capital Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Fiserv by 71.7% during the third quarter. Soros Capital Management LLC now owns 54,797 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $9,844,000 after purchasing an additional 22,884 shares during the last quarter. Czech National Bank raised its stake in shares of Fiserv by 5.2% during the fourth quarter. Czech National Bank now owns 123,353 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $25,339,000 after purchasing an additional 6,072 shares during the last quarter. Chiron Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Fiserv during the third quarter worth approximately $4,709,000. Trust Co. of Vermont raised its stake in shares of Fiserv by 170.4% during the fourth quarter. Trust Co. of Vermont now owns 6,839 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $1,405,000 after purchasing an additional 4,310 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Cardano Risk Management B.V. purchased a new stake in shares of Fiserv during the fourth quarter worth approximately $97,254,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 90.98% of the company’s stock.

Fiserv Stock Up 2.6 %

FI opened at $214.91 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.07, a current ratio of 1.06 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.86. The firm has a market cap of $120.62 billion, a P/E ratio of 39.87, a PEG ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 0.93. Fiserv, Inc. has a 52 week low of $145.98 and a 52 week high of $238.59. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $218.96 and its 200 day simple moving average is $204.40.

Fiserv (NYSE:FI) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 5th. The business services provider reported $2.51 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.48 by $0.03. Fiserv had a return on equity of 17.93% and a net margin of 15.31%. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Fiserv, Inc. will post 10.23 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Fiserv announced that its Board of Directors has initiated a share repurchase program on Thursday, February 20th that allows the company to repurchase 60,000,000 outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization allows the business services provider to purchase shares of its stock through open market purchases. Shares repurchase programs are often an indication that the company’s management believes its shares are undervalued.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Fiserv news, COO Guy Chiarello sold 45,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $235.55, for a total value of $10,599,750.00. Following the sale, the chief operating officer now directly owns 227,711 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $53,637,326.05. This trade represents a 16.50 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 0.75% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have recently commented on FI. Compass Point began coverage on Fiserv in a research note on Wednesday, November 20th. They set a “buy” rating and a $278.00 price target for the company. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their price objective on Fiserv from $208.00 to $231.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday, December 3rd. KeyCorp increased their price objective on Fiserv from $250.00 to $270.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 6th. Seaport Res Ptn upgraded Fiserv from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 14th. Finally, Stephens increased their price objective on Fiserv from $255.00 to $270.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 6th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twenty-one have given a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $239.83.

Fiserv Profile

Fiserv, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, provides payments and financial services technology services in the United States, Europe, the Middle East and Africa, Latin America, the Asia-Pacific, and internationally. It operates through Merchant Acceptance, Financial Technology, and Payments and Network segments.