Principal Securities Inc. Invests $1.76 Million in Sanofi (NASDAQ:SNY)

Principal Securities Inc. bought a new stake in Sanofi (NASDAQ:SNY) during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm bought 35,363 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,759,000.

Other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Rise Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of Sanofi by 98.4% in the fourth quarter. Rise Advisors LLC now owns 506 shares of the company’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 251 shares during the last quarter. Salem Investment Counselors Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Sanofi during the 4th quarter worth about $27,000. Venturi Wealth Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Sanofi by 163.5% during the 4th quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC now owns 535 shares of the company’s stock worth $27,000 after buying an additional 332 shares during the last quarter. McIlrath & Eck LLC grew its holdings in shares of Sanofi by 143.3% in the 4th quarter. McIlrath & Eck LLC now owns 613 shares of the company’s stock valued at $30,000 after acquiring an additional 361 shares in the last quarter. Finally, CNB Bank acquired a new position in shares of Sanofi during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $39,000. Institutional investors own 10.04% of the company’s stock.

Sanofi Price Performance

Sanofi stock opened at $49.28 on Friday. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $48.04 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $48.12. The firm has a market cap of $124.66 billion, a PE ratio of 24.76, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.36 and a beta of 0.61. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19, a current ratio of 1.27 and a quick ratio of 0.87. Sanofi has a one year low of $42.63 and a one year high of $55.72.

Sanofi Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed an annual dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 6th. Investors of record on Friday, May 10th will be given a dividend of $1.478 per share. This is a boost from Sanofi’s previous annual dividend of $1.38. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, May 9th. This represents a yield of 2.98%. Sanofi’s dividend payout ratio is currently 74.37%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

SNY has been the subject of several research reports. TheStreet downgraded Sanofi from a “b” rating to a “c” rating in a report on Friday, February 9th. Morgan Stanley began coverage on Sanofi in a research report on Tuesday, January 23rd. They issued an “equal weight” rating and a $55.00 target price on the stock. Finally, StockNews.com downgraded Sanofi from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 27th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $55.00.

Sanofi Profile

Sanofi, a healthcare company, engages in the research, development, manufacture, and marketing of therapeutic solutions in the United States, Europe, and internationally. It operates through Pharmaceuticals, Vaccines, and Consumer Healthcare segments. The company provides specialty care, such as DUPIXENT, neurology and immunology, rare diseases, oncology, and rare blood disorders; medicines for diabetes and cardiovascular diseases; and established prescription products.