Prudential Financial (NYSE:PRU) Rating Lowered to “Hold” at Wall Street Zen

Prudential Financial (NYSE:PRU) was downgraded by research analysts at Wall Street Zen from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report released on Monday, Wall Street Zen reports.

PRU has been the topic of a number of other research reports. Morgan Stanley increased their price objective on Prudential Financial from $92.00 to $105.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a research report on Monday, August 24th. TD Cowen upped their target price on Prudential Financial from $102.00 to $114.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 22nd. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on Prudential Financial from $103.00 to $110.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, August 19th. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price target on Prudential Financial from $105.00 to $110.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, July 10th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on Prudential Financial from $129.00 to $131.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday, August 17th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, ten have issued a Hold rating and five have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and an average price target of $109.31.

Prudential Financial Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:PRU opened at $115.10 on Monday. The company has a 50 day moving average of $120.49 and a 200 day moving average of $109.07. The company has a current ratio of 0.16, a quick ratio of 0.16 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62. The stock has a market cap of $39.71 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.43, a P/E/G ratio of 1.74 and a beta of 0.83. Prudential Financial has a 12 month low of $91.89 and a 12 month high of $127.72.

Prudential Financial (NYSE:PRU) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, August 4th. The financial services provider reported $4.08 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.52 by $0.56. The business had revenue of $14.15 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $14.36 billion. Prudential Financial had a net margin of 6.51% and a return on equity of 16.68%. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $3.58 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Prudential Financial will post 14.59 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, major shareholder Insurance Co Of Ame Prudential sold 214,746 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, July 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $24.75, for a total value of $5,314,963.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 7,973,657 shares in the company, valued at approximately $197,348,010.75. This represents a 2.62% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP Ann M. Kappler sold 7,652 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $125.01, for a total value of $956,576.52. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 14,407 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,801,019.07. This represents a 34.69% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 0.05% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of Prudential Financial

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Orca Investment Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Prudential Financial in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $2,605,000. Jones Financial Companies Lllp boosted its position in shares of Prudential Financial by 21.3% during the second quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 58,436 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $6,325,000 after purchasing an additional 10,257 shares in the last quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. grew its stake in Prudential Financial by 379.8% in the second quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 619,701 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $66,884,000 after purchasing an additional 490,553 shares during the period. Allianz Asset Management GmbH boosted its holdings in shares of Prudential Financial by 32.4% during the 2nd quarter. Allianz Asset Management GmbH now owns 28,105 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $3,033,000 after buying an additional 6,877 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Wedge Capital Management L L P NC lifted its position in Prudential Financial by 8.7% during the 2nd quarter. Wedge Capital Management L L P NC now owns 325,257 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $35,105,000 after acquiring an additional 26,120 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 56.83% of the company’s stock.

Prudential Financial News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Prudential Financial this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Prudential Uganda is expanding its adviser force as membership in the Million Dollar Round Table grows. The development could support distribution and long-term insurance growth, although the subsidiary is unlikely to materially affect near-term consolidated results. Prudential Uganda strengthens adviser force as MDRT membership grows
• Neutral Sentiment: PGIM, Prudential’s asset-management business, is reportedly seeking limits on artificial-intelligence exposure in collateralized loan obligations. The move may reduce concentration and credit risk, but could also constrain investment opportunities or returns; the report does not indicate an immediate earnings impact. Prudential’s PGIM seeks AI limits in CLOs to restrict exposure
• Neutral Sentiment: Value-oriented comparisons of PRU with Zurich Insurance describe Prudential as a stock investors may consider based on valuation, but these are screening articles rather than new company developments. PRU vs. ZURVY: Which Stock Is the Better Value Option?
• Negative Sentiment: Wall Street Zen downgraded Prudential to “Hold,” and a separate report highlighted another Hold downgrade. Repeatedly cautious ratings can weigh on investor sentiment and limit near-term upside. Prudential Financial downgraded to Hold
• Negative Sentiment: Prudential’s preferred stock reached a 52-week low, while after-hours trading indicators also showed continued weakness. These signals point to reduced appetite for the company’s income-oriented securities, though preferred-stock performance is not a direct measure of the common shares. Prudential preferred stock hits a 52-week low

About Prudential Financial

Prudential Financial, Inc (NYSE: PRU) is a global financial services company that provides insurance, retirement, investment management and related financial products. Founded in 1875 and headquartered in Newark, New Jersey, the company serves individual, institutional and workplace customers through businesses in the United States and selected international markets.

In the United States, Prudential offers life insurance, annuities, retirement plans and group insurance products, including coverage for employees and their families.