UBS Group AG Raises Stake in Signet Jewelers Limited $SIG

UBS Group AG increased its holdings in shares of Signet Jewelers Limited (NYSE:SIG) by 185.4% in the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 545,140 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 354,108 shares during the period. UBS Group AG’s holdings in Signet Jewelers were worth $45,181,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. U S Global Investors Inc. acquired a new position in Signet Jewelers during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $456,000. Ruffer LLP acquired a new stake in shares of Signet Jewelers in the fourth quarter worth $15,372,000. M&T Bank Corp acquired a new stake in shares of Signet Jewelers in the fourth quarter worth $1,053,000. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank raised its stake in shares of Signet Jewelers by 15.4% in the 4th quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank now owns 14,797 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,226,000 after acquiring an additional 1,971 shares during the period. Finally, Bayforest Capital Ltd purchased a new position in shares of Signet Jewelers in the 4th quarter valued at $140,000.

Signet Jewelers Trading Up 6.9%

SIG opened at $87.69 on Thursday. Signet Jewelers Limited has a twelve month low of $61.50 and a twelve month high of $110.20. The firm has a market cap of $3.51 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.30, a PEG ratio of 0.95 and a beta of 1.20. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $89.76 and a 200 day simple moving average of $92.10.

Signet Jewelers (NYSE:SIG) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, March 19th. The company reported $6.25 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $6.11 by $0.14. The firm had revenue of ($4,468.50) million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.33 billion. Signet Jewelers had a net margin of 4.32% and a return on equity of 22.22%. The firm’s revenue was down .3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $6.62 EPS. On average, analysts forecast that Signet Jewelers Limited will post 10.3 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Signet Jewelers Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 22nd. Investors of record on Friday, April 24th will be paid a $0.35 dividend. This represents a $1.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.6%. This is a positive change from Signet Jewelers’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.32. The ex-dividend date is Friday, April 24th. Signet Jewelers’s payout ratio is presently 17.95%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts recently weighed in on SIG shares. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on shares of Signet Jewelers from $90.00 to $100.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Friday, March 20th. UBS Group boosted their price objective on Signet Jewelers from $118.00 to $126.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, March 20th. The Goldman Sachs Group raised Signet Jewelers from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Signet Jewelers in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada upgraded Signet Jewelers to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, March 30th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have given a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $116.00.

Signet Jewelers Profile

Signet Jewelers Ltd is the world’s largest retailer of diamond jewelry, operating a diversified network of retail stores across the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Ireland. Its portfolio includes well-established banners such as Kay Jewelers, Zales, Jared The Galleria of Jewelry, H.Samuel, Ernest Jones, Peoples and Piercing Pagoda, offering customers a range of shopping environments from suburban malls to high-street locations.

The company’s product assortment encompasses engagement rings, wedding bands, fine fashion jewelry and timepieces, complemented by services including jewelry cleaning, repairs, appraisals and extended care plans.