Lazard Asset Management LLC Raises Stock Holdings in Citigroup Inc. $C

Lazard Asset Management LLC increased its holdings in Citigroup Inc. (NYSE:C) by 19.7% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 132,445 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 21,782 shares during the quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC’s holdings in Citigroup were worth $15,021,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in C. Brighton Jones LLC raised its holdings in Citigroup by 166.9% in the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 19,990 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,407,000 after buying an additional 12,499 shares during the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC raised its holdings in shares of Citigroup by 20.5% during the second quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 9,805 shares of the company’s stock valued at $835,000 after purchasing an additional 1,669 shares during the last quarter. United Bank bought a new position in Citigroup during the second quarter valued at approximately $972,000. Osterweis Capital Management Inc. boosted its holdings in Citigroup by 3,016.7% in the second quarter. Osterweis Capital Management Inc. now owns 935 shares of the company’s stock worth $80,000 after purchasing an additional 905 shares during the last quarter. Finally, HUB Investment Partners LLC boosted its holdings in Citigroup by 26.9% in the second quarter. HUB Investment Partners LLC now owns 15,287 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,301,000 after purchasing an additional 3,238 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 71.72% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director John Cunningham Dugan sold 2,117 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, May 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $125.30, for a total transaction of $265,260.10. Following the sale, the director directly owned 12,194 shares in the company, valued at $1,527,908.20. This trade represents a 14.79% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.11% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Key Stories Impacting Citigroup

Here are the key news stories impacting Citigroup this week:

• Positive Sentiment: New trade-finance platform: Citi launched Citi Consolidate™, an Infor Nexus-powered solution that digitizes invoice approvals, purchase orders and payables for corporate buyers and suppliers in the United States and Canada. The platform could deepen client relationships, improve working-capital services and generate additional fee revenue while strengthening Citi’s technology and risk-control capabilities. Citi Is Now Live With a Trade Digitization Solution Integrating Supply Chain Solutions
• Positive Sentiment: Higher shareholder returns: Citigroup raised its quarterly dividend 11.7% to $0.67 per share after reporting its strongest quarterly revenue in roughly a decade. The increase reinforces the bank’s capital-return story and may improve its appeal to income-focused investors. This High-Yield Bank Stock Just Raised Its Dividend by 11.7%
• Positive Sentiment: Improved earnings outlook: Erste Group Bank raised its Citigroup EPS estimates to $11.18 for fiscal 2026 and $12.80 for fiscal 2027. Citi also recently exceeded quarterly EPS and revenue expectations, with revenue up 14.5% year over year, supporting the case for continued earnings momentum.
• Neutral Sentiment: Fed holds rates, but dissent is hawkish: The Federal Reserve kept rates at 3.50%–3.75%, while three officials favored a hike. Stable rates avoid an immediate disruption to borrowing markets, but the dissent highlights persistent inflation risk and could limit expectations for future rate cuts. Fed Holds Rates, but 3 Hawkish Rebels Demand Hike as Inflation Fight Erupts
• Negative Sentiment: Reputational overhang: A former Citigroup managing director was sentenced to 30 years in prison for sex crimes. The case concerns a former employee rather than current operations, but renewed coverage may create negative reputational sentiment for the company. Ex-Citigroup Managing Director Gets 30 Years for Sex Crimes

Citigroup Trading Down 3.9%

Shares of Citigroup stock opened at $127.26 on Thursday. Citigroup Inc. has a 1-year low of $87.94 and a 1-year high of $147.96. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $135.53 and its 200-day simple moving average is $124.03. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.71, a current ratio of 0.99 and a quick ratio of 0.99. The stock has a market capitalization of $217.05 billion, a PE ratio of 13.74, a P/E/G ratio of 0.60 and a beta of 1.11.

Citigroup (NYSE:C) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 14th. The company reported $3.15 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.74 by $0.41. The firm had revenue of $24.75 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $23.74 billion. Citigroup had a return on equity of 10.15% and a net margin of 10.23%.Citigroup’s revenue was up 14.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.96 EPS. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Citigroup Inc. will post 11.22 earnings per share for the current year.

Citigroup announced that its board has initiated a stock repurchase plan on Thursday, May 7th that authorizes the company to buyback $30.00 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the company to buy up to 13.7% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are usually an indication that the company’s board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.

Citigroup Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 28th. Investors of record on Monday, August 3rd will be issued a $0.67 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, August 3rd. This represents a $2.68 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.1%. This is a positive change from Citigroup’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.60. Citigroup’s payout ratio is currently 25.92%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on C shares. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Citigroup from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, July 16th. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price objective on Citigroup from $137.00 to $151.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, April 15th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on Citigroup from $135.50 to $149.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, July 6th. UBS Group raised their target price on Citigroup from $134.00 to $150.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 7th. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded Citigroup from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, May 9th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $145.67.

Citigroup Profile

Citigroup Inc is a global financial services company headquartered in New York City with roots tracing back to the City Bank of New York, founded in 1812. The modern Citigroup was created through the 1998 merger of Citicorp and Travelers Group and has since operated as a diversified bank holding company that provides a broad range of banking and financial products and services to consumers, corporations, governments and institutions worldwide.

Citi’s principal businesses include retail and commercial banking, credit card and consumer lending products, wealth management and private banking, and a full suite of institutional services.