Goelzer Investment Management Inc. Cuts Position in Principal Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:PFG)

Goelzer Investment Management Inc. trimmed its position in shares of Principal Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:PFG) by 2.2% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 121,946 shares of the company’s stock after selling 2,719 shares during the period. Goelzer Investment Management Inc.’s holdings in Principal Financial Group were worth $9,440,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Peterson Financial Group Inc. purchased a new stake in Principal Financial Group during the third quarter valued at $33,000. Truvestments Capital LLC bought a new stake in shares of Principal Financial Group in the 3rd quarter worth about $43,000. Prospera Private Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Principal Financial Group during the 3rd quarter valued at about $45,000. Sugarloaf Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Principal Financial Group by 53.6% in the 4th quarter. Sugarloaf Wealth Management LLC now owns 559 shares of the company’s stock valued at $43,000 after acquiring an additional 195 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Capital Performance Advisors LLP purchased a new position in Principal Financial Group in the third quarter worth about $50,000. 75.08% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Principal Financial Group Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:PFG opened at $81.83 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35, a quick ratio of 0.30 and a current ratio of 0.30. The firm has a market cap of $18.72 billion, a PE ratio of 11.89, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.80 and a beta of 1.22. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $80.96 and its 200-day simple moving average is $82.24. Principal Financial Group, Inc. has a one year low of $72.21 and a one year high of $91.97.

Principal Financial Group (NYSE:PFG) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 24th. The company reported $1.76 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.02 by ($0.26). Principal Financial Group had a positive return on equity of 14.67% and a negative net margin of 1.47%. The firm had revenue of $3.01 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.92 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.72 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts predict that Principal Financial Group, Inc. will post 7.01 EPS for the current year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on PFG shares. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods decreased their price objective on Principal Financial Group from $93.00 to $90.00 and set a “market perform” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, January 10th. Morgan Stanley restated an “underweight” rating and issued a $80.00 price target (down from $86.00) on shares of Principal Financial Group in a research report on Thursday, December 5th. BMO Capital Markets assumed coverage on shares of Principal Financial Group in a research report on Thursday. They set a “market perform” rating and a $93.00 price objective on the stock. Bank of America lowered their target price on shares of Principal Financial Group from $94.00 to $91.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, October 10th. Finally, Barclays upped their price target on shares of Principal Financial Group from $75.00 to $77.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a report on Friday, October 25th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have issued a hold rating, two have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $84.92.

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.