Zacks Investment Research lowered shares of Principal Financial Group (NASDAQ:PFG) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note published on Friday, Zacks.com reports. They currently have $69.00 price target on the stock.
According to Zacks, “Principal Financial remains focused on fee-based revenue sources, which help it earn steadily and limit its exposure to interest rate. The company continues to benefit from strength and leadership in retirement and long-term savings, group benefits and protection in the United States, retirement and long-term savings in Latin America and Asia and global asset management. The inorganic growth story is impressive with acquisitions fortifying its global footprint and adding fee-based businesses. The company boasts a solid capital position. Shares have outperformed its industry in the year-to-date period. However, rising expenses weigh on the company's margins. Lower ROE pose financial risk. Also, dilution from acquisition is a headwind. Given the low rate environment, the company expects adverse impact on demand for income annuities.”
Top 10 Financial Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Mr. Cooper Group Inc.(COOP)
Mr. Cooper Group Inc. provides servicing, origination, and transaction-based services related to single-family residences in the United States. The company operates through three segments: Servicing, Originations, and Xome. The Servicing segment performs activities for underlying mortgages, including collecting and disbursing borrower payments, investor reporting, customer service, and modifying loans. The Originations segment originates residential mortgage loans through its direct-to-consumer channel, as well as originates and purchases loans from mortgage bankers and brokers. The Xome segment offers a range of real estate services, such as title, valuation, and field services to mortgage originators, mortgage and real estate investors, and mortgage servicers. This segment also operates an exchange that facilitates the management and selling of residential properties through its website, Xome.com. It operates primarily under the Mr. Cooper and Xome brands. The company was formerly known as WMIH Corp. and changed its name to Mr. Cooper Group Inc. in October 2018. Mr. Cooper Group Inc. is based in Coppell, Texas.
Advisors’ Opinion:
- [By ]
Entering the second quarter, MGY accounted for 1.4% of Cooperman's portfolio. Of the stocks remaining, the top 10 account for 56.7% of the investment manager's overall assets. Its largest holding at an 8.2% weighting is Alphabet, followed by home loan servicer Mr. Cooper Group (COOP) at 7.9% and blank-check company Athene Holding (ATHN) at 6.6%.
Top 10 Financial Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Premier Financial Corp.(PFC)
Premier Financial Corp., through its subsidiaries, provides various banking services. It offers various demand, checking, money market, certificates of deposits, certificates of deposit account registry service, and savings accounts; and investment products. The company also provides residential real estate loans, commercial real estate loans, commercial loans, home improvement and home equity loans, and consumer loans. In addition, it invests in the U.S. treasury and federal government agency obligations, obligations of states and political subdivisions, mortgage-backed securities that are issued by federal agencies, collateralized mortgage obligations, and corporate bonds. Further, the company offers property and casualty, life, and group health insurance agency services; mezzanine funding services; and online banking services, which include mobile banking, People Pay, online bill pay, and online account opening, as well as the MoneyPass ATM network. It operates through 75 banking center offices and 12 loan offices in Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. The company was formerly known as First Defiance Financial Corp. and changed its name to Premier Financial Corp. in June 2020. Premier Financial Corp. was incorporated in 1995 and is headquartered in Defiance, Ohio.
Advisors’ Opinion:
- [By ]
Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Premier Financial (PFC)
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- [By Joseph Griffin]
Berenberg Bank began coverage on shares of Petrofac (LON:PFC) in a report published on Tuesday morning. The firm issued a hold rating and a GBX 500 ($6.53) target price on the stock.
- [By Joseph Griffin]
Petrofac (LON:PFC) was upgraded by equities research analysts at Morgan Stanley to an “equal weight” rating in a research note issued to investors on Thursday. The brokerage presently has a GBX 800 ($10.32) price objective on the stock, up from their previous price objective of GBX 650 ($8.38). Morgan Stanley’s target price would suggest a potential upside of 21.95% from the stock’s current price.
Top 10 Financial Stocks To Invest In Right Now: KKR(KKR)
Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. is a private equity and venture capital firm specializing in acquisitions, leveraged buyouts, management buyouts, and mezzanine investments in large cap companies. The firm will consider investments in all industries globally, with a focus on financial services, infrastructure, and renewable energy. It seeks a board seat in its portfolio companies. The firm holds a controlling interest in its portfolio companies after they go public. It typically holds its investment for a period of five years and more and exits through initial public offerings, secondary offerings, and sales to strategic buyers. Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. was founded in 1976 and is based at New York, New York with additional offices across United States, Europe, Australia, and Asia.
Advisors’ Opinion:
- [By Tim Melvin]
The heads of leading private-equity real estate investors including KKR & Co Inc. (NYSE: KKR) and BlackRock Inc. (NYSE: BLK) will be there.
Also there will be the analysts and investment bankers that cover real estate for the major firms including Goldman Sachs Group Inc. (NYSE: GS), JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE: JPM), Citigroup Inc. (NYSE: C) and Bank of America Corp. (NYSE: BAC).
- [By Ethan Ryder]
KKR & Co Inc (NYSE:KKR) was the recipient of a large increase in short interest in the month of February. As of February 28th, there was short interest totalling 13,549,086 shares, an increase of 30.6% from the February 15th total of 10,378,172 shares. Approximately 2.7% of the company’s shares are sold short. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 7,191,365 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 1.9 days.
Top 10 Financial Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Stewart Information Services Corporation(STC)
Stewart Information Services Corporation provides title insurance and related information services required for settlement by the real estate and mortgage industries. It operates in two segments, Title Insurance-Related Services and Real Estate Information. The Title Insurance-Related Services segment offers services that include searching for and examining documents, such as deeds, mortgages, wills, divorce decrees, court judgments, liens, paving assessments, and tax records, as well as provides titles insurance for residential and commercial properties, undeveloped acreage, farms, ranches, and water rights. This segment serves attorneys, builders, developers, home buyers and home sellers, lenders, and real estate brokers. The Real Estate Information segment offers products and services, which primarily include lender services, title technology, foreign and domestic government services, mapping, title information, Internal Revenue Code Section 1031 tax-deferred property e xchanges, pre-employment services, and online filing and transaction management. Its customers include mortgage lenders and servicers, mortgage brokers, mortgage investors, government entities, commercial and residential real estate agents, land developers, builders, title insurance agencies, and others interested in obtaining property information, as well as accountants, attorneys, investors, and employers. The company has operations primarily in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, central Europe, Mexico, central America, and Australia. Stewart Information Services Corporation was founded in 1893 and is based in Houston, Texas.
Advisors’ Opinion:
- [By Max Byerly]
COPYRIGHT VIOLATION WARNING: “Stewart Information Services Corp (STC) Plans $0.30 Quarterly Dividend” was published by Ticker Report and is owned by of Ticker Report. If you are accessing this piece on another domain, it was stolen and republished in violation of US & international copyright & trademark laws. The original version of this piece can be read at www.tickerreport.com/banking-finance/4196940/stewart-information-services-corp-stc-plans-0-30-quarterly-dividend.html.
- [By Joseph Griffin]
Bailard Inc. reduced its stake in shares of Stewart Information Services Corp (NYSE:STC) by 14.7% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 8,100 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after selling 1,400 shares during the period. Bailard Inc.’s holdings in Stewart Information Services were worth $335,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.
- [By Ethan Ryder]
Stewart Information Services (NYSE:STC) was downgraded by analysts at Zacks Investment Research from a hold rating to a sell rating. According to Zacks, “Stewart Information Services Corporation’s primary business is title insurance. Stewart issues policies through issuing locations on homes and other real property located in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and several foreign countries. Stewart also sells computer-related services and information, as well as mapping products and geographic information systems, to domestic and foreign governments and private entities. “
- [By Stephan Byrd]
StarChain (CURRENCY:STC) traded 1.1% higher against the U.S. dollar during the 1-day period ending at 20:00 PM E.T. on September 4th. StarChain has a market cap of $0.00 and approximately $199,071.00 worth of StarChain was traded on exchanges in the last day. One StarChain token can currently be bought for about $0.0119 or 0.00000162 BTC on major cryptocurrency exchanges. Over the last seven days, StarChain has traded up 29% against the U.S. dollar.
Top 10 Financial Stocks To Invest In Right Now: NBT Bancorp Inc.(NBTB)
NBT Bancorp Inc., a financial holding company, provides commercial banking and financial services to individuals, corporations, and municipalities in central and upstate New York, northeastern Pennsylvania, and the greater Burlington, Vermont area. The company accepts various deposit products that include demand deposit accounts, savings accounts, negotiable order of withdrawal accounts, money market deposit accounts, and certificate of deposit accounts. Its loan portfolio comprises residential real estate mortgages, commercial loans, commercial real estate loans, real estate construction and development loans, agricultural and agricultural real estate loans, consumer loans, home equity loans, and lease financing. NBT Bancorp also provides retirement plan consulting and recordkeeping services; and trust and investment, financial planning, and life insurance services, as well as enables customers to check balances, transfer funds, pay bills, view statements, apply for loans , and access various other product and service information online. As of December 31, 2010, the NBT Bank division had 86 divisional offices and 114 automated teller machines (ATMs) located primarily in central and upstate New York and Burlington, Vermont; and the Pennstar Bank division had 37 divisional offices and 50 ATMs located primarily in northeastern Pennsylvania. The company was founded in 1856 and is headquartered in Norwich, New York.
Advisors’ Opinion:
- [By Max Byerly]
Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on NBT Bancorp (NBTB)
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- [By Stephan Byrd]
Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on NBT Bancorp (NBTB)
For more information about research offerings from Zacks Investment Research, visit Zacks.com
- [By Ethan Ryder]
NBT Bancorp (NASDAQ:NBTB) was downgraded by analysts at BidaskClub from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a note issued to investors on Saturday.
Top 10 Financial Stocks To Invest In Right Now: First Bancorp(FBNC)
First Bancorp operates as the bank holding company for First Bank that provides various banking services to individuals and small to medium-sized businesses. It offers deposit products, such as checking, savings, NOW, and money market accounts, as well as time deposits comprising certificates of deposits and individual retirement accounts. The company also provides loans for various consumer and commercial purposes, including loans for business, agriculture, real estate, personal uses, home improvement, and automobiles. In addition, First Bancorp offers credit cards, debit cards, letters of credit, safe deposit box rentals, bank money orders, and electronic funds transfer services consisting of wire transfers. Further, the company provides Internet banking, mobile banking, cash management, and bank-by-phone capabilities, as well as access to automated teller machines. Additionally, it engages in the placement of property and casualty insurance products. As of November 22, 2011, First Bancorp operated 97 branches, including 82 branches in North Carolina, 9 branches in South Carolina, and 6 branches in Virginia; and 1 loan production office in Blacksburg, Virginia. The company was founded in 1934 and is headquartered in Troy, North Carolina.
Advisors’ Opinion:
- [By Shane Hupp]
ILLEGAL ACTIVITY WARNING: “Intrust Bank NA Takes $240,000 Position in First Bancorp (FBNC)” was originally published by Ticker Report and is owned by of Ticker Report. If you are accessing this story on another domain, it was stolen and reposted in violation of US and international trademark & copyright laws. The original version of this story can be read at www.tickerreport.com/banking-finance/4163865/intrust-bank-na-takes-240000-position-in-first-bancorp-fbnc.html.
- [By Ethan Ryder]
First Bancorp (NASDAQ:FBNC) was upgraded by equities researchers at BidaskClub from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note issued to investors on Thursday.
Top 10 Financial Stocks To Invest In Right Now: QCR Holdings Inc.(QCRH)
QCR Holdings, Inc., through its subsidiaries, provides commercial and consumer banking, and trust and asset management services for the Quad City, Cedar Rapids, and Rockford communities. The company accepts deposits and invests in loans/leases and securities. Its deposit products comprise interest bearing deposits, non-interest bearing and interest bearing demand deposits, savings deposits, time deposits, and brokered time deposits. The company also offers a range of commercial and retail lending and investment services to corporations, partnerships, individuals, and government agencies. Its loan portfolio comprises commercial loans, including loans to wholesalers, manufacturers, building contractors, business services companies, other banks, and retailers; business loans, which include lines of credit for working capital and operational purposes; term loans for the acquisition of facilities, equipment, and other purposes; commercial real estate loans; and consumer loans c omprising motor vehicle, home improvement, home equity, and signature loans, as well as small personal credit lines. In addition, the company engages in the direct financing lease contracts; holding the real estate property; and issuing various trust preferred securities. QCR Holdings was founded in 1993 and is headquartered in Moline, Illinois.
Advisors’ Opinion:
- [By Stephan Byrd]
Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on QCR (QCRH)
For more information about research offerings from Zacks Investment Research, visit Zacks.com
- [By Max Byerly]
Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on QCR (QCRH)
For more information about research offerings from Zacks Investment Research, visit Zacks.com
Top 10 Financial Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Barclays PLC(BCS)
Barclays PLC provides various financial products and services in Europe, the United States, Africa, and Asia. It offers retail and commercial banking, credit cards, investment banking, wealth management, and investment management services. The company?s products include current account and savings products, Woolwich branded mortgages, unsecured loans, protection products, general insurance, credit cards, Sharia-compliant products, installment finance and commercial property finance, commercial loans, and personal loans. It also offers money transmission, international and private banking, investment management, fiduciary, and brokerage services, as well as payment solutions and mobile banking services. In addition, the company provides fixed income, currency and commodities, foreign exchange, emerging markets, money markets, and credit services; equities, which include cash and equity derivatives and prime services; investment banking products and services that comprise fi nancial advisory, and equity and debt underwriting; and advisory services. It serves individual, commercial, corporate, institutional, retail, and mass affluent customers. The company was formerly known as Barclays Bank Limited and changed its name to Barclays PLC in January 1985. Barclays PLC was founded in 1896 and is headquartered in London, the United Kingdom.
Advisors’ Opinion:
- [By Garrett Baldwin]
Now, here’s a closer look at today’s Money Morning insight, the most important market events, and stocks to watch.
The Top Stock Market Stories for Tuesday
Despite some progress in trade talks between the United States and China, China warned its citizens about trouble ahead for its economy. This morning, the Chinese government predicted the nation’s economy would grow between a rate of 6% and 6.5% in the year ahead. This figure would represent a slowdown from last year’s expansion rate of 6.6% and would be the lowest growth total in 30 years. Ongoing tensions between the United States and China have cooled in recent weeks. U.S. President Donald Trump said that the two nations are “very, very close” to a deal and a “signing summit.” Health insurance companies are under pressure after the U.S. House of Representatives unveiled a “Medicare for all” bill. Although the bill has very little chance of passing in the current session of Congress, investors are unnerved about the growing desire in Washington to shift to a single-payer model. Although there might be an opportunity for companies like Cigna Corp. (NYSE: CI) and UnitedHealth Group Inc. (NYSE: UNH) to rebound, don’t expect the gains to last long. Many analysts feel that health insurance stocks are ripe for a sharp downturn when Democratic nominees for president begin debating their healthcare positions in the fall. Shares of Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ: TSLA) are falling again in pre-market hours. The latest bad news came after the company received another downgrade – this one from Barclays Plc. (NYSE: BCS). The British bank slashed its price target from $210 to $192 per share and said that the company has undermined its own narrative around the Model 3. “With lower margins not likely to be offset by increased volumes and cost saves, we cut our PT to $192 and remain underweight…” the bank wrote. The price target of $192 represents downside of 32.7% from Tuesday’s closing price.
Money Morning Insight o - [By Garrett Baldwin]
While researching his best-selling book, “Contrarian Investing,” this man uncovered a method that is surprisingly easy – and less risky than traditional methods of making money in the markets. You can grow incredibly wealthy using this secret method – even when markets are going down. In fact, he made his first huge gain using this method when the markets were completely crashing. See it for yourself…
Stocks to Watch Today: AMZN, BBBY, BCS, CRM
Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) shares pushed higher after the e-commerce giant received an upgrade from Evercore. The analysts hiked the price target from $1,800 to $1,965 on expectations of higher gross profits. “In this note, we make the case that given Amazon’s shifting business mix,” analysts wrote, “the pace of gross profit growth has become a more relevant indicator of the health of the business, and as such, should be the key metric used to value the company.” Shares of Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. (NASDAQ: BBBY) fell 3.5% after the firm received a stock downgrade from Barclays Plc. (NYSE: BCS). The investment bank said it is concerned about the retail firm’s ongoing restructuring. Barclays dropped its price target for BBBY stock from $15 to $13, citing concerns about retail traffic trends and gross margin growth. Salesforce.com Inc. (NYSE: CRM) will report earnings after the bell on Monday. Look for other earnings reports from YY Inc. (NYSE: YY), Clarus Corp. (NASDAQ: CLAR), and The Children’s Place Inc. (NASDAQ: PLCE).
Follow Money Morning on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
- [By Garrett Baldwin]
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Stocks to Watch Today: NKE, GRMN, FIT, FOSL, NAVI
Nike Inc. (NYSE: NYSE) is facing a public relations problem this morning and shares are off nearly 2%. Last night, Duke University star basketball player Zion Williamson was injured in the opening minute of a marquee game against the University of North Carolina. Williamson slipped while dribbling and his Nike shoe split apart, causing him to fall and injure his knee. The No. 1 ranked Duke Blue Devils, who were favorites against their rivals at home, were blown out after Williamson was forced to leave the game. The game was heavily televised, attended by celebrities and former President Barack Obama, and fetched ticket prices upwards of $10,000. Williamson is likely the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft this year. The company called the event an “isolated occurrence.” Shares of Garmin Ltd. (NASDAQ: GRMN) popped to an 11-year high thanks to a strong earnings report and forward guidance on Wednesday. The fitness and navigation device manufacturer reported that smartwatch sales are “on fire” from outdoor enthusiasts. The firm’s outdoor segment experienced a 25% jump in revenue for the quarter, while the firm hiked its 2019 revenue outlook and topped analysts’ expectations. The news helped boost shares of Fossil (NASDAQ: FOSL) and Fitbit (NYSE: FIT). Shares of Navient Corp. (NASDAQ: NAVI) slid 4.2% after hedge fund Canyon Capital withdrew its bid from earlier this week to buy the student loan servicing giant for $12.50 per share. The hedge fund announced it will now launch a proxy fight to replace many of the company’s board of directors. While this might be bad news for NAVI in the short term, there are still 1.5 trillion reasons to own this stock. Look for other earnings reports from Baidu (NASDAQ: BIDU), Barclays PLC (NYSE: BCS), Boyd Gaming (NYSE: BYD), Domino’s Pizza (NYSE: DPZ), Dropbox (NYSE: DBX), First Solar (NASDAQ: FSLR), Hewlett Packard Enterprise (NYSE: HPE), Kraft Hein
Top 10 Financial Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Templeton Dragon Fund Inc.(TDF)
Templeton Dragon Fund, Inc. is a closed ended equity mutual fund launched and managed by Templeton Asset Management Ltd. It invests in the public equity markets of China. The fund invests in stocks of companies operating across diversified sectors. It invests in value stocks of companies. The fund typically employs fundamental analysis focusing on factors like growth prospects, competitive positions in export markets, technologies, research and development, productivity, labor costs, raw material costs and sources, profit margins, returns on investment, capital resources, government regulation and management. Templeton Dragon Fund, Inc was formed on September 20. 1994 and is domiciled in Singapore.
Advisors’ Opinion:
- [By Logan Wallace]
News articles about Templeton Dragon Fund Inc common stock (NYSE:TDF) have trended somewhat positive on Sunday, Accern reports. The research firm identifies positive and negative media coverage by reviewing more than twenty million news and blog sources in real time. Accern ranks coverage of public companies on a scale of -1 to 1, with scores nearest to one being the most favorable. Templeton Dragon Fund Inc common stock earned a media sentiment score of 0.11 on Accern’s scale. Accern also gave news headlines about the financial services provider an impact score of 45.9946586007156 out of 100, meaning that recent media coverage is somewhat unlikely to have an impact on the stock’s share price in the next several days.
- [By Shane Hupp]
Templeton Dragon Fund Inc common stock (NYSE:TDF) major shareholder City Of London Investment Grou bought 8,155 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 12th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $22.87 per share, with a total value of $186,504.85. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Major shareholders that own at least 10% of a company’s shares are required to disclose their transactions with the SEC.
Top 10 Financial Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Stratus Properties Inc.(STRS)
Stratus Properties Inc. engages in the acquisition, development, management, operation, and sale of commercial, hotel, entertainment, and multi-family and single-family residential real estate properties located primarily in the Austin, Texas area. It operates the W Austin Hotel & Residences project located on a 2-acre city block in downtown Austin; and residential real estate properties, including developed, under development, and undeveloped properties in the Barton Creek community, the Circle C community and Lantana, and the condominium units at the W Austin Hotel & Residences project. The company also engages in the leasing of commercial properties comprising two office buildings at 7500 Rialto Boulevard; office and retail space at the W Austin Hotel & Residences project; and a retail building and a bank building in the Barton Creek Village, as well as two retail buildings, including a bank building and the Parkside Village project in the Circle C community. Stratus Pr operties Inc. was founded in 1992 and is headquartered in Austin, Texas.
Advisors’ Opinion:
- [By Shane Hupp]
Here are some of the media stories that may have impacted Accern Sentiment’s analysis:
Get Stratus Properties alerts:
Analyzing Stratus Properties (STRS) & City Developments (CDEVY) (americanbankingnews.com) Stratus Properties (STRS) versus City Developments (CDEVY) Financial Survey (americanbankingnews.com) Reviewing Stratus Properties (STRS) and St. Joe (JOE) (americanbankingnews.com) Stratus Properties (STRS) versus City Developments (CDEVY) Head-To-Head Analysis (americanbankingnews.com) Contrasting Stratus Properties (STRS) & St. Joe (JOE) (americanbankingnews.com)
NASDAQ STRS traded down $0.25 during trading hours on Monday, hitting $31.10. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 528 shares, compared to its average volume of 7,123. Stratus Properties has a 52 week low of $26.15 and a 52 week high of $32.15. The company has a quick ratio of 1.09, a current ratio of 1.09 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.74.
