Raymond James (NYSE:RJF) Shares Acquired by Meiji Yasuda Asset Management Co Ltd.

Meiji Yasuda Asset Management Co Ltd. increased its position in shares of Raymond James (NYSE:RJF) by 15.1% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 3,154 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 413 shares during the quarter. Meiji Yasuda Asset Management Co Ltd.’s holdings in Raymond James were worth $490,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. TCTC Holdings LLC lifted its stake in Raymond James by 176.7% during the 4th quarter. TCTC Holdings LLC now owns 166 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 106 shares during the period. Y.D. More Investments Ltd raised its holdings in shares of Raymond James by 121.0% during the fourth quarter. Y.D. More Investments Ltd now owns 232 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $36,000 after purchasing an additional 127 shares during the last quarter. Plato Investment Management Ltd lifted its position in Raymond James by 1,142.1% during the fourth quarter. Plato Investment Management Ltd now owns 236 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $37,000 after purchasing an additional 217 shares during the period. Quarry LP boosted its holdings in Raymond James by 80.3% in the third quarter. Quarry LP now owns 420 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $51,000 after purchasing an additional 187 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Eastern Bank acquired a new stake in Raymond James during the 4th quarter worth about $68,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 83.83% of the company’s stock.

Raymond James Stock Performance

RJF opened at $142.74 on Friday. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $155.56 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $150.03. Raymond James has a 52-week low of $104.24 and a 52-week high of $174.32. The company has a market cap of $29.25 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.93, a PEG ratio of 0.90 and a beta of 1.04. The company has a quick ratio of 1.01, a current ratio of 1.03 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35.

Raymond James (NYSE:RJF) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 29th. The financial services provider reported $2.93 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.62 by $0.31. Raymond James had a net margin of 14.06% and a return on equity of 19.71%. Equities analysts anticipate that Raymond James will post 11.17 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Raymond James Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 15th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, April 1st will be paid a $0.50 dividend. This represents a $2.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.40%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, April 1st. Raymond James’s dividend payout ratio is presently 19.51%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on Raymond James from $166.00 to $172.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, January 30th. The Goldman Sachs Group upgraded Raymond James from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and upped their price objective for the stock from $161.00 to $185.00 in a research report on Monday, January 6th. Citigroup lifted their target price on shares of Raymond James from $145.00 to $170.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, January 10th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods increased their price target on shares of Raymond James from $170.00 to $177.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a report on Thursday, January 30th. Finally, Morgan Stanley lifted their price objective on shares of Raymond James from $149.00 to $161.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Tuesday, March 4th. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, three have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Raymond James currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $167.55.

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.