Fiserv, Inc. (NYSE:FI) Shares Sold by Cozad Asset Management Inc.

Cozad Asset Management Inc. reduced its stake in shares of Fiserv, Inc. (NYSE:FI) by 2.5% in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 55,394 shares of the business services provider’s stock after selling 1,418 shares during the quarter. Fiserv makes up 1.1% of Cozad Asset Management Inc.’s portfolio, making the stock its 23rd largest position. Cozad Asset Management Inc.’s holdings in Fiserv were worth $11,379,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Marshall Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in Fiserv in the 4th quarter worth approximately $29,000. Valley National Advisers Inc. purchased a new stake in Fiserv in the 4th quarter worth approximately $29,000. Compass Financial Services Inc purchased a new stake in Fiserv in the 4th quarter worth approximately $31,000. Campbell Capital Management Inc. purchased a new stake in Fiserv in the 4th quarter worth approximately $37,000. Finally, Knuff & Co LLC purchased a new stake in Fiserv in the 4th quarter worth approximately $45,000. 90.98% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Fiserv Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:FI opened at $214.91 on Monday. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $218.96 and its two-hundred day moving average is $204.87. Fiserv, Inc. has a 52 week low of $145.98 and a 52 week high of $238.59. The firm has a market capitalization of $120.62 billion, a P/E ratio of 39.87, a PEG ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 0.93. The company has a current ratio of 1.06, a quick ratio of 1.07 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.86.

Fiserv (NYSE:FI) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The business services provider reported $2.51 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.48 by $0.03. Fiserv had a net margin of 15.31% and a return on equity of 17.93%. Analysts anticipate that Fiserv, Inc. will post 10.23 earnings per share for the current year.

Fiserv declared that its board has initiated a stock buyback 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 reacquire shares of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase programs are typically an indication that the company’s board believes its stock is undervalued.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

FI has been the subject of several research reports. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on shares of Fiserv from $240.00 to $270.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. Citigroup boosted their price objective on shares of Fiserv from $230.00 to $233.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 14th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods boosted their price objective on shares of Fiserv from $238.00 to $260.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. Barclays boosted their price objective on shares of Fiserv from $235.00 to $265.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, February 10th. Finally, Seaport Res Ptn raised shares of Fiserv from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 14th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twenty-one have assigned a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $239.83.

Insider Activity at Fiserv

In related news, COO Guy Chiarello sold 45,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $235.55, for a total transaction of $10,599,750.00. Following the transaction, the chief operating officer now owns 227,711 shares in the company, valued at $53,637,326.05. This trade represents a 16.50 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.75% of the company’s stock.

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.