Fiserv, Inc. (NYSE:FI) Shares Purchased by Candriam S.C.A.

Candriam S.C.A. boosted its holdings in Fiserv, Inc. (NYSE:FI - Free Report) by 23.5% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 205,959 shares of the business services provider's stock after purchasing an additional 39,227 shares during the quarter. Candriam S.C.A.'s holdings in Fiserv were worth $42,308,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. FMR LLC increased its stake in Fiserv by 17.8% in the third quarter. FMR LLC now owns 9,442,476 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $1,696,341,000 after purchasing an additional 1,427,664 shares during the last quarter. Sanders Capital LLC acquired a new stake in Fiserv during the third quarter worth about $764,543,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp increased its stake in Fiserv by 4.7% during the fourth quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 3,711,072 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $762,328,000 after acquiring an additional 164,949 shares during the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased its stake in Fiserv by 2.6% during the fourth quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 3,620,785 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $743,782,000 after acquiring an additional 90,475 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Raymond James Financial Inc. acquired a new stake in Fiserv during the fourth quarter worth about $614,982,000. 90.98% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Fiserv Stock Performance

NYSE:FI traded down $1.91 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $218.04. 4,456,911 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,995,866. The company has a quick ratio of 1.07, a current ratio of 1.06 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.86. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $218.31 and a 200-day simple moving average of $203.37. Fiserv, Inc. has a 52 week low of $145.98 and a 52 week high of $238.59. The stock has a market capitalization of $122.38 billion, a P/E ratio of 40.45, a P/E/G ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 0.93.

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Fiserv (NYSE:FI - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The business services provider reported $2.51 EPS 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%. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Fiserv, Inc. will post 10.23 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

FI has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Stephens upped their price target on Fiserv from $255.00 to $270.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. StockNews.com lowered Fiserv from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 25th. Compass Point initiated coverage on Fiserv in a research note on Wednesday, November 20th. They set a "buy" rating and a $278.00 price target for the company. Royal Bank of Canada upped their price target on Fiserv from $255.00 to $270.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. Finally, Seaport Res Ptn upgraded Fiserv from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 14th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twenty-one have issued a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Fiserv currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $239.83.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, COO Guy Chiarello sold 45,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred 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 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 sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 0.75% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Fiserv Profile

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.