Franklin Resources Inc. Lowers Position in United States Steel Co. (NYSE:X)

Franklin Resources Inc. lowered its stake in United States Steel Co. (NYSE:X - Free Report) by 97.9% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 45,953 shares of the basic materials company's stock after selling 2,146,493 shares during the quarter. Franklin Resources Inc.'s holdings in United States Steel were worth $1,562,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in X. Ameliora Wealth Management Ltd. purchased a new position in shares of United States Steel in the fourth quarter valued at about $27,000. ORG Wealth Partners LLC bought a new position in United States Steel in the 4th quarter worth approximately $30,000. Parkworth Wealth Management Inc. purchased a new stake in United States Steel during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Lee Danner & Bass Inc. bought a new stake in shares of United States Steel during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $32,000. Finally, Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. purchased a new position in shares of United States Steel in the fourth quarter worth $34,000. 81.92% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

United States Steel Trading Down 0.7 %

Shares of United States Steel stock traded down $0.28 on Friday, reaching $41.54. The company had a trading volume of 3,872,737 shares, compared to its average volume of 5,450,426. The firm has a market cap of $9.40 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.88, a P/E/G ratio of 1.53 and a beta of 1.79. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36, a current ratio of 1.55 and a quick ratio of 0.91. The firm's 50-day moving average price is $40.15 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $37.85. United States Steel Co. has a 1 year low of $26.92 and a 1 year high of $46.18.

United States Steel (NYSE:X - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 30th. The basic materials company reported ($0.18) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.20 by ($0.38). United States Steel had a return on equity of 4.27% and a net margin of 2.46%. As a group, research analysts predict that United States Steel Co. will post 1.43 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

United States Steel Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 12th. Investors of record on Monday, February 10th were paid a $0.05 dividend. This represents a $0.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.48%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, February 10th. United States Steel's dividend payout ratio is presently 13.42%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have issued reports on X shares. Bank of America started coverage on shares of United States Steel in a report on Monday, January 6th. They issued a "neutral" rating and a $35.00 price target on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group decreased their target price on United States Steel from $45.00 to $40.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, January 6th. BMO Capital Markets reissued a "market perform" rating and set a $45.00 price target on shares of United States Steel in a research note on Monday, March 31st. Morgan Stanley lifted their price objective on United States Steel from $39.00 to $43.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Friday, March 7th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. reiterated a "neutral" rating and set a $38.00 target price (down from $43.00) on shares of United States Steel in a research report on Wednesday. Five analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $39.94.

About United States Steel

United States Steel Corporation produces and sells flat-rolled and tubular steel products primarily in North America and Europe. The company operates through North American Flat-Rolled (Flat-Rolled), Mini Mill, U. S. Steel Europe (USSE), and Tubular Products (Tubular) segments. The Flat-Rolled segment offers slabs, strip mill plates, sheets, and tin mill products, as well as iron ore and coke.