Franklin Resources Inc. Purchases 136,342 Shares of ING Groep (NYSE:ING)

Franklin Resources Inc. boosted its holdings in ING Groep (NYSE:ING - Free Report) by 88.3% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 290,796 shares of the financial services provider's stock after acquiring an additional 136,342 shares during the period. Franklin Resources Inc.'s holdings in ING Groep were worth $4,557,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Natixis Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of ING Groep by 2.3% during the fourth quarter. Natixis Advisors LLC now owns 3,381,569 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $52,989,000 after acquiring an additional 74,771 shares during the period. Todd Asset Management LLC raised its stake in shares of ING Groep by 1.6% during the fourth quarter. Todd Asset Management LLC now owns 2,771,941 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $43,436,000 after purchasing an additional 42,851 shares in the last quarter. American Century Companies Inc. lifted its position in ING Groep by 4.7% in the fourth quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 1,240,735 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $19,442,000 after purchasing an additional 55,257 shares during the period. HighTower Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in ING Groep by 1.6% in the 4th quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 963,306 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $15,095,000 after acquiring an additional 15,118 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Raymond James Financial Inc. acquired a new position in shares of ING Groep in the 4th quarter worth approximately $14,375,000. 4.49% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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ING Groep Trading Up 0.3 %

NYSE ING traded up $0.06 on Monday, hitting $18.28. 2,946,988 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,347,831. ING Groep has a twelve month low of $15.09 and a twelve month high of $20.79. The company's 50 day moving average price is $18.44 and its 200-day moving average price is $17.03. The firm has a market capitalization of $63.95 billion, a P/E ratio of 8.54, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 6.42 and a beta of 1.07. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.89, a current ratio of 1.13 and a quick ratio of 1.13.

ING Groep (NYSE:ING - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The financial services provider reported $0.39 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.41 by ($0.02). ING Groep had a net margin of 28.30% and a return on equity of 11.81%. Analysts predict that ING Groep will post 2.14 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

ING Groep Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a semi-annual dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 9th. Investors of record on Friday, April 25th will be given a dividend of $0.6526 per share. This represents a yield of 5.1%. This is a positive change from ING Groep's previous semi-annual dividend of $0.17. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, April 25th. ING Groep's payout ratio is presently 60.75%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Separately, The Goldman Sachs Group upgraded shares of ING Groep from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, March 27th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, one has issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, ING Groep currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy".

ING Groep Company Profile

ING Groep N.V. provides various banking products and services in the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, rest of Europe, and internationally. It operates through five segments: Retail Netherlands, Retail Belgium, Retail Germany, Retail Other, and Wholesale Banking. The company accepts current and savings accounts.