Broadridge Financial Solutions (NYSE:BR) Shares Gap Down – Time to Sell?

Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. (NYSE:BR)’s stock price gapped down prior to trading on Friday . The stock had previously closed at $239.12, but opened at $231.03. Broadridge Financial Solutions shares last traded at $236.05, with a volume of 25,592 shares changing hands.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have weighed in on BR. Wolfe Research reissued a “peer perform” rating on shares of Broadridge Financial Solutions in a research report on Thursday, December 12th. Morgan Stanley upped their target price on shares of Broadridge Financial Solutions from $200.00 to $207.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 6th. StockNews.com lowered shares of Broadridge Financial Solutions from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, November 9th. UBS Group started coverage on shares of Broadridge Financial Solutions in a research note on Thursday, November 21st. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $250.00 target price on the stock. Finally, DA Davidson restated a “neutral” rating and issued a $215.00 target price on shares of Broadridge Financial Solutions in a research note on Tuesday, January 21st. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Broadridge Financial Solutions currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $226.71.

Broadridge Financial Solutions Stock Up 0.5 %

The firm has a market capitalization of $28.09 billion, a P/E ratio of 41.53 and a beta of 1.08. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.63, a current ratio of 1.39 and a quick ratio of 1.39. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $231.10 and its 200-day moving average price is $219.96.

Broadridge Financial Solutions (NYSE:BR) last issued its earnings results on Friday, January 31st. The business services provider reported $1.56 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.32 by $0.24. Broadridge Financial Solutions had a net margin of 10.57% and a return on equity of 41.79%. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $0.92 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. will post 8.53 earnings per share for the current year.

Broadridge Financial Solutions Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, January 3rd. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 13th were given a $0.88 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, December 13th. This represents a $3.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.46%. Broadridge Financial Solutions’s payout ratio is 60.90%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director Maura A. Markus sold 3,880 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, November 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $227.02, for a total value of $880,837.60. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 27,788 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,308,431.76. This trade represents a 12.25 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, VP Thomas P. Carey sold 15,710 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, December 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $230.32, for a total transaction of $3,618,327.20. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now owns 12,146 shares in the company, valued at $2,797,466.72. The trade was a 56.40 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 54,532 shares of company stock worth $12,264,846 in the last quarter. 1.30% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of BR. B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. Holding AG acquired a new stake in Broadridge Financial Solutions in the 3rd quarter worth $44,746,000. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. grew its position in Broadridge Financial Solutions by 3,197.8% in the 3rd quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 204,366 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $43,945,000 after purchasing an additional 198,169 shares during the last quarter. Benjamin Edwards Inc. grew its position in Broadridge Financial Solutions by 2,302.8% in the 3rd quarter. Benjamin Edwards Inc. now owns 147,004 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $31,618,000 after purchasing an additional 140,886 shares during the last quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in Broadridge Financial Solutions in the 3rd quarter worth $274,650,000. Finally, BNP Paribas Financial Markets grew its position in Broadridge Financial Solutions by 97.7% in the 3rd quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 198,878 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $42,765,000 after purchasing an additional 98,275 shares during the last quarter. 90.03% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Broadridge Financial Solutions Company Profile

Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc provides investor communications and technology-driven solutions for the financial services industry. The company's Investor Communication Solutions segment processes and distributes proxy materials to investors in equity securities and mutual funds, as well as facilitates related vote processing services; and distributes regulatory reports, class action, and corporate action/reorganization event information, as well as tax reporting solutions.