2,900 Shares in Principal Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:PFG) Purchased by IMS Capital Management

IMS Capital Management acquired a new stake in Principal Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:PFG - Free Report) in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor acquired 2,900 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $224,000.

Other large investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Metis Global Partners LLC increased its stake in shares of Principal Financial Group by 5.0% in the third quarter. Metis Global Partners LLC now owns 11,230 shares of the company's stock valued at $965,000 after buying an additional 533 shares during the period. Sanctuary Advisors LLC increased its position in Principal Financial Group by 66.2% during the 3rd quarter. Sanctuary Advisors LLC now owns 24,932 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,137,000 after purchasing an additional 9,933 shares during the period. Legacy Financial Group LLC acquired a new stake in Principal Financial Group during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $771,000. Columbus Macro LLC raised its holdings in Principal Financial Group by 46.7% during the 4th quarter. Columbus Macro LLC now owns 25,653 shares of the company's stock worth $1,986,000 after purchasing an additional 8,169 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Lecap Asset Management Ltd. lifted its position in shares of Principal Financial Group by 135.6% in the 4th quarter. Lecap Asset Management Ltd. now owns 22,469 shares of the company's stock worth $1,739,000 after purchasing an additional 12,933 shares during the period. 75.08% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages recently weighed in on PFG. BMO Capital Markets assumed 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 target price for the company. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price objective on Principal Financial Group from $75.00 to $69.00 and set an "underweight" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, January 14th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upped their target price on Principal Financial Group from $90.00 to $92.00 and gave the company a "market perform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 12th. Morgan Stanley reiterated an "underweight" rating and issued a $80.00 target price (down from $86.00) on shares of Principal Financial Group in a report on Thursday, December 5th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised shares of Principal Financial Group from a "neutral" rating to an "overweight" rating and reduced their price objective for the stock from $95.00 to $92.00 in a research report on Tuesday, January 7th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have given a hold rating, two have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $85.54.

Principal Financial Group Stock Up 1.1 %

Shares of PFG traded up $0.95 on Tuesday, reaching $86.60. The company's stock had a trading volume of 1,184,070 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,499,386. The stock has a market capitalization of $19.81 billion, a PE ratio of 12.96, a PEG ratio of 0.79 and a beta of 1.22. The company has a current ratio of 0.30, a quick ratio of 0.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35. Principal Financial Group, Inc. has a twelve month low of $72.21 and a twelve month high of $91.97. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $80.19 and a 200-day moving average of $82.20.

Principal Financial Group Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 28th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, March 12th will be issued a $0.75 dividend. This represents a $3.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.46%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, March 12th. This is a positive change from Principal Financial Group's previous quarterly dividend of $0.73. Principal Financial Group's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 43.71%.

Principal Financial Group Company 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.