Raymond James (NYSE:RJF) Shares Sold by Kentucky Retirement Systems

Kentucky Retirement Systems reduced its holdings in Raymond James (NYSE:RJF) by 1.4% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 12,737 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after selling 175 shares during the period. Kentucky Retirement Systems’ holdings in Raymond James were worth $1,978,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the business. ING Groep NV acquired a new stake in Raymond James in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $1,284,000. Handelsbanken Fonder AB grew its holdings in Raymond James by 17.0% in the fourth quarter. Handelsbanken Fonder AB now owns 69,761 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $10,836,000 after purchasing an additional 10,141 shares during the period. Ieq Capital LLC grew its holdings in Raymond James by 57.6% in the fourth quarter. Ieq Capital LLC now owns 8,055 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $1,251,000 after purchasing an additional 2,944 shares during the period. Bryn Mawr Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in Raymond James in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $208,000. Finally, Joel Adams & Associates Inc. acquired a new stake in Raymond James in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $378,000. 83.83% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Buying and Selling at Raymond James

In other Raymond James news, insider Bella Loykhter Allaire sold 1,170 shares of Raymond James stock in a transaction on Friday, November 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $169.43, for a total value of $198,233.10. Following the sale, the insider now owns 80,421 shares in the company, valued at $13,625,730.03. The trade was a 1.43 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, insider Tashtego S. Elwyn sold 10,000 shares of Raymond James stock in a transaction on Friday, December 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $159.47, for a total value of $1,594,700.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 32,688 shares in the company, valued at $5,212,755.36. This represents a 23.43 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 64,621 shares of company stock worth $10,729,488 over the last quarter. 0.54% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Raymond James Stock Performance

Shares of Raymond James stock opened at $151.34 on Friday. Raymond James has a one year low of $104.24 and a one year high of $174.32. The company has a market cap of $31.01 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.77, a PEG ratio of 0.90 and a beta of 1.03. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35, a quick ratio of 1.01 and a current ratio of 1.03. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $161.30 and its 200 day moving average price is $145.31.

Raymond James (NYSE:RJF) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 29th. The financial services provider reported $2.93 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.62 by $0.31. Raymond James had a return on equity of 19.71% and a net margin of 14.06%. On average, research analysts predict that Raymond James will post 11.17 EPS for the current year.

Raymond James Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, April 1st will be given a $0.50 dividend. This represents a $2.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.32%. Raymond James’s dividend payout ratio is currently 19.51%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts have commented on RJF shares. The Goldman Sachs Group raised Raymond James from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and raised their price objective for the company from $161.00 to $185.00 in a report on Monday, January 6th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lifted their price target on Raymond James from $170.00 to $177.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 30th. Bank of America lifted their price target on Raymond James from $198.00 to $201.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 30th. Citigroup lifted their price target on Raymond James from $145.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, January 10th. Finally, JMP Securities lifted their price target on Raymond James from $175.00 to $190.00 and gave the stock a “market outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 30th. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, three have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Raymond James presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $166.09.

About Raymond James

Raymond James Financial, Inc, a financial holding company, through its subsidiaries, engages in the underwriting, distribution, trading, and brokerage of equity and debt securities, and the sale of mutual funds and other investment products in the United States, Canada, Europe, and internationally. The company operates through Private Client Group, Capital Markets, Asset Management, RJ Bank, and Other segments.