Goelzer Investment Management Inc. Trims Stock Position in Citizens Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:CFG)

Goelzer Investment Management Inc. decreased its position in shares of Citizens Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:CFG) by 2.5% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 201,177 shares of the bank’s stock after selling 5,123 shares during the quarter. Goelzer Investment Management Inc.’s holdings in Citizens Financial Group were worth $8,804,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Costello Asset Management INC acquired a new position in Citizens Financial Group during the third quarter worth approximately $25,000. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC acquired a new position in shares of Citizens Financial Group in the 3rd quarter valued at $27,000. Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Citizens Financial Group in the 3rd quarter valued at $28,000. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC acquired a new stake in Citizens Financial Group during the 3rd quarter worth $48,000. Finally, Friedenthal Financial purchased a new position in Citizens Financial Group during the 3rd quarter worth $50,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.90% of the company’s stock.

Citizens Financial Group Stock Up 0.2 %

Shares of NYSE CFG opened at $47.44 on Friday. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $45.73 and its two-hundred day moving average is $42.94. The company has a market capitalization of $20.91 billion, a PE ratio of 15.66, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.82 and a beta of 1.10. Citizens Financial Group, Inc. has a 12-month low of $30.24 and a 12-month high of $49.25. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.56, a current ratio of 0.85 and a quick ratio of 0.85.

Citizens Financial Group (NYSE:CFG) last posted its earnings results on Friday, January 17th. The bank reported $0.85 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.83 by $0.02. The firm had revenue of $1.99 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1,962,330 billion. Citizens Financial Group had a return on equity of 6.75% and a net margin of 12.21%. Citizens Financial Group’s revenue was down .1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.85 EPS. Equities analysts anticipate that Citizens Financial Group, Inc. will post 3.94 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Citizens Financial Group Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 14th. Investors of record on Friday, January 31st will be given a dividend of $0.42 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, January 31st. This represents a $1.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.54%. Citizens Financial Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 55.45%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have recently commented on CFG shares. Stephens reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and issued a $53.00 target price on shares of Citizens Financial Group in a report on Tuesday. DA Davidson lifted their target price on Citizens Financial Group from $46.00 to $48.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 17th. Barclays upped their price target on Citizens Financial Group from $47.00 to $52.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Monday, January 6th. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their price objective on shares of Citizens Financial Group from $48.00 to $59.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 26th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada raised their target price on shares of Citizens Financial Group from $43.00 to $45.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 17th. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Citizens Financial Group presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $49.00.

Citizens Financial Group Profile

Citizens Financial Group, Inc operates as the bank holding company that provides retail and commercial banking products and services to individuals, small businesses, middle-market companies, corporations, and institutions in the United States. The company operates in two segments, Consumer Banking and Commercial Banking.