Quest Partners LLC Raises Stock Holdings in H&R Block, Inc. (NYSE:HRB)

Quest Partners LLC lifted its stake in H&R Block, Inc. (NYSE:HRB - Free Report) by 1,628.4% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 12,341 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 11,627 shares during the period. Quest Partners LLC's holdings in H&R Block were worth $784,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in HRB. Eastern Bank bought a new stake in shares of H&R Block during the third quarter worth about $25,000. Bogart Wealth LLC grew its position in shares of H&R Block by 606.1% in the 3rd quarter. Bogart Wealth LLC now owns 466 shares of the company's stock valued at $30,000 after buying an additional 400 shares during the last quarter. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of H&R Block in the third quarter valued at about $35,000. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in H&R Block during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $40,000. Finally, Versant Capital Management Inc increased its position in H&R Block by 4,152.9% during the 2nd quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 723 shares of the company's stock valued at $39,000 after purchasing an additional 706 shares during the period. 90.14% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, VP Kellie J. Logerwell sold 8,000 shares of H&R Block stock in a transaction dated Monday, September 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $64.41, for a total value of $515,280.00. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now owns 18,474 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,189,910.34. This trade represents a 30.22 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Jeffrey J. Jones II sold 9,722 shares of H&R Block stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $63.07, for a total value of $613,166.54. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 893,169 shares of the company's stock, valued at $56,332,168.83. The trade was a 1.08 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 1.30% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

H&R Block Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE HRB traded up $1.42 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $58.29. 1,569,744 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,196,681. The firm has a market capitalization of $7.99 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.22, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.84 and a beta of 0.67. H&R Block, Inc. has a 52 week low of $42.28 and a 52 week high of $68.45. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 16.46, a current ratio of 0.77 and a quick ratio of 0.77. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $61.29 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $57.62.

H&R Block (NYSE:HRB - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, November 7th. The company reported ($1.17) EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of ($1.13) by ($0.04). The business had revenue of $193.81 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $188.78 million. H&R Block had a negative return on equity of 212.45% and a net margin of 16.19%. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned ($1.05) earnings per share. Analysts predict that H&R Block, Inc. will post 5.28 EPS for the current year.

H&R Block declared that its board has authorized a share buyback plan on Thursday, August 15th that authorizes the company to buyback $1.50 billion in shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the company to buy up to 16.7% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback plans are often a sign that the company's leadership believes its shares are undervalued.

H&R Block Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, January 6th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, December 5th will be paid a dividend of $0.375 per share. This represents a $1.50 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.57%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, December 5th. H&R Block's payout ratio is 36.59%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

HRB has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. StockNews.com downgraded shares of H&R Block from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday, August 16th. Barrington Research reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and set a $70.00 price objective on shares of H&R Block in a research report on Friday, November 8th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price target on shares of H&R Block from $39.00 to $44.00 and gave the company a "sell" rating in a research report on Friday, August 16th.

About H&R Block

H&R Block, Inc, through its subsidiaries, provides assisted income tax return preparation and do-it-yourself (DIY) tax return preparation services and products to the general public primarily in the United States, Canada, and Australia. It offers assisted income tax return preparation and related services through a system of retail offices operated directly by the company or its franchisees.