Natixis Advisors LLC Has $5.54 Million Holdings in Principal Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:PFG)

Natixis Advisors LLC cut its position in Principal Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:PFG) by 18.7% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 71,576 shares of the company’s stock after selling 16,512 shares during the period. Natixis Advisors LLC’s holdings in Principal Financial Group were worth $5,541,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted its position in Principal Financial Group by 5.1% in the third quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 2,462,562 shares of the company’s stock valued at $211,534,000 after buying an additional 118,722 shares in the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. boosted its position in Principal Financial Group by 3.2% in the fourth quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 1,448,507 shares of the company’s stock valued at $112,129,000 after buying an additional 44,818 shares in the last quarter. Amundi lifted its position in shares of Principal Financial Group by 24.1% during the fourth quarter. Amundi now owns 1,359,779 shares of the company’s stock worth $106,511,000 after purchasing an additional 264,383 shares in the last quarter. Barclays PLC lifted its position in shares of Principal Financial Group by 12.3% during the third quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 806,672 shares of the company’s stock worth $69,293,000 after purchasing an additional 88,179 shares in the last quarter. Finally, AustralianSuper Pty Ltd lifted its position in shares of Principal Financial Group by 23.2% during the fourth quarter. AustralianSuper Pty Ltd now owns 665,410 shares of the company’s stock worth $51,509,000 after purchasing an additional 125,198 shares in the last quarter. 75.08% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Principal Financial Group Stock Down 1.0 %

Shares of NYSE:PFG opened at $83.26 on Friday. Principal Financial Group, Inc. has a 52 week low of $72.21 and a 52 week high of $91.98. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36, a quick ratio of 0.30 and a current ratio of 0.29. The company has a market capitalization of $18.78 billion, a PE ratio of 12.46, a PEG ratio of 0.76 and a beta of 1.17. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $83.65 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $83.45.

Principal Financial Group Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 28th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, March 12th will be paid a $0.75 dividend. This represents a $3.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.60%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, March 12th. This is an increase from Principal Financial Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.73. Principal Financial Group’s dividend payout ratio is presently 44.91%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Barclays upped their target price on shares of Principal Financial Group from $77.00 to $80.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a research report on Friday, February 7th. Morgan Stanley reiterated an “underweight” rating and set a $80.00 target price (down from $86.00) on shares of Principal Financial Group in a research report on Thursday, December 5th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on shares of Principal Financial Group from $69.00 to $74.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 19th. Royal Bank of Canada reiterated a “sector perform” rating and set a $91.00 target price on shares of Principal Financial Group in a research report on Thursday, January 16th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets began coverage on shares of Principal Financial Group in a research note on Thursday, January 23rd. They set a “market perform” rating and a $93.00 price target for the company. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have issued a hold rating, two have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Principal Financial Group has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $85.92.

Principal Financial Group Profile

Principal Financial Group, Inc provides retirement, asset management, and insurance products and services to businesses, individuals, and institutional clients worldwide. The company operates through Retirement and Income Solutions, Principal Asset Management, and Benefits and Protection segments. The Retirement and Income Solutions segment provides retirement, and related financial products and services.