Commonwealth Equity Services LLC Acquires 979 Shares of Fiserv, Inc. (NYSE:FI)

Commonwealth Equity Services LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Fiserv, Inc. (NYSE:FI) by 0.9% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 108,543 shares of the business services provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 979 shares during the quarter. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC’s holdings in Fiserv were worth $22,297,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the business. Marshall Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Fiserv in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Valley National Advisers Inc. acquired a new position in Fiserv in the 4th quarter worth $29,000. Compass Financial Services Inc bought a new position in Fiserv during the 4th quarter worth about $31,000. Knuff & Co LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Fiserv in the 4th quarter valued at about $45,000. Finally, Roxbury Financial LLC bought a new stake in shares of Fiserv in the fourth quarter valued at about $50,000. Institutional investors own 90.98% of the company’s stock.

Fiserv Price Performance

Shares of NYSE FI opened at $214.91 on Monday. The business’s 50 day moving average is $218.96 and its 200-day moving average is $204.87. The firm has a market cap of $120.62 billion, a P/E ratio of 39.87, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 0.93. Fiserv, Inc. has a 1-year low of $145.98 and a 1-year high of $238.59. 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 posted its earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The business services provider reported $2.51 earnings per share for the quarter, topping 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%. Equities research analysts predict that Fiserv, Inc. will post 10.23 earnings per share for the current year.

Fiserv announced that its Board of Directors has initiated a share repurchase program on Thursday, February 20th that permits the company to buyback 60,000,000 outstanding shares. This buyback authorization permits the business services provider to purchase shares of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are typically a sign that the company’s leadership believes its stock is undervalued.

Insider Buying and Selling at Fiserv

In other news, COO Guy Chiarello sold 45,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $235.55, for a total transaction of $10,599,750.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer now directly owns 227,711 shares in the company, valued at approximately $53,637,326.05. This represents a 16.50 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.75% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts recently issued reports on the company. Morgan Stanley lifted their target price on Fiserv from $258.00 to $267.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 6th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lifted their price objective on shares of Fiserv from $238.00 to $260.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, February 6th. Seaport Res Ptn upgraded shares of Fiserv from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 14th. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price target on shares of Fiserv from $208.00 to $231.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, December 3rd. Finally, Oppenheimer increased their price objective on shares of Fiserv from $214.00 to $239.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 19th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twenty-one have issued a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Fiserv currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $239.83.

About Fiserv

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.