Russell Investments Group Ltd. Has $25.64 Million Stake in Popular, Inc. (NASDAQ:BPOP)

Russell Investments Group Ltd. decreased its stake in Popular, Inc. (NASDAQ:BPOP - Free Report) by 21.3% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 272,551 shares of the bank's stock after selling 73,626 shares during the quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. owned 0.38% of Popular worth $25,636,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Proficio Capital Partners LLC bought a new stake in shares of Popular in the 4th quarter valued at $27,000. Picton Mahoney Asset Management raised its position in shares of Popular by 56.7% during the fourth quarter. Picton Mahoney Asset Management now owns 326 shares of the bank's stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 118 shares during the period. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Popular by 56.6% during the 4th quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 603 shares of the bank's stock valued at $57,000 after purchasing an additional 218 shares in the last quarter. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB acquired a new position in shares of Popular in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $81,000. Finally, R Squared Ltd bought a new stake in Popular during the 4th quarter worth approximately $166,000. Institutional investors own 87.27% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have weighed in on the stock. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their price target on shares of Popular from $100.00 to $110.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 29th. StockNews.com raised shares of Popular from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Saturday. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods increased their target price on Popular from $116.00 to $129.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday, January 29th. Barclays boosted their price target on Popular from $110.00 to $115.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Friday, December 20th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company upgraded Popular from an "equal weight" rating to an "overweight" rating and decreased their price objective for the stock from $110.00 to $100.00 in a report on Wednesday, April 9th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $111.57.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Gilberto Monzon sold 9,600 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $102.57, for a total value of $984,672.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 39,170 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,017,666.90. This represents a 19.68 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, EVP Eduardo J. Negron sold 10,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, January 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $104.02, for a total transaction of $1,040,200.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 32,866 shares of the company's stock, valued at $3,418,721.32. This trade represents a 23.33 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 2.09% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Popular Stock Up 0.7 %

Shares of NASDAQ BPOP traded up $0.61 during trading hours on Monday, hitting $82.80. The company had a trading volume of 123,309 shares, compared to its average volume of 598,305. The stock has a market capitalization of $5.74 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.67, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.75 and a beta of 0.62. Popular, Inc. has a 1-year low of $78.23 and a 1-year high of $106.81. The firm's 50 day moving average is $94.10 and its 200-day moving average is $95.82.

Popular (NASDAQ:BPOP - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, January 28th. The bank reported $2.51 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.04 by $0.47. Popular had a net margin of 14.15% and a return on equity of 11.89%. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Popular, Inc. will post 10.06 earnings per share for the current year.

Popular Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, April 1st. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, March 18th were paid a dividend of $0.70 per share. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, March 18th. This represents a $2.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.38%. Popular's dividend payout ratio is currently 32.71%.

Popular Profile

Popular, Inc, through its subsidiaries, provides various retail, mortgage, and commercial banking products and services in Puerto Rico, the United States, and the British Virgin Islands. The company provides savings, NOW, money market, and other interest-bearing demand accounts; non-interest bearing demand deposits; and certificates of deposit.