First Citizens BancShares, Inc. (NASDAQ:FCNCA) Shares Sold by National Pension Service

National Pension Service lowered its stake in shares of First Citizens BancShares, Inc. (NASDAQ:FCNCA) by 9.5% during the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 17,326 shares of the bank’s stock after selling 1,814 shares during the period. National Pension Service’s holdings in First Citizens BancShares were worth $36,610,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the business. M&T Bank Corp increased its holdings in shares of First Citizens BancShares by 0.8% in the 3rd quarter. M&T Bank Corp now owns 607 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $1,117,000 after acquiring an additional 5 shares during the period. Mather Group LLC. increased its holdings in shares of First Citizens BancShares by 38.5% in the 4th quarter. Mather Group LLC. now owns 18 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $38,000 after acquiring an additional 5 shares during the period. Private Advisor Group LLC increased its holdings in shares of First Citizens BancShares by 3.0% in the 4th quarter. Private Advisor Group LLC now owns 172 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $363,000 after acquiring an additional 5 shares during the period. Metis Global Partners LLC increased its holdings in shares of First Citizens BancShares by 4.9% in the 3rd quarter. Metis Global Partners LLC now owns 129 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $237,000 after acquiring an additional 6 shares during the period. Finally, Hemington Wealth Management increased its holdings in shares of First Citizens BancShares by 60.0% in the 4th quarter. Hemington Wealth Management now owns 16 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $33,000 after acquiring an additional 6 shares during the period. 78.01% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

FCNCA has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. StockNews.com raised shares of First Citizens BancShares from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, February 1st. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft initiated coverage on shares of First Citizens BancShares in a research report on Monday, December 9th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $2,600.00 price objective on the stock. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lifted their price objective on shares of First Citizens BancShares from $2,500.00 to $2,600.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, January 27th. Barclays lifted their price objective on shares of First Citizens BancShares from $2,456.00 to $2,568.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Monday, January 27th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on shares of First Citizens BancShares from $2,550.00 to $2,600.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 7th. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $2,323.50.

First Citizens BancShares Price Performance

First Citizens BancShares stock opened at $2,048.06 on Friday. First Citizens BancShares, Inc. has a 52 week low of $1,505.73 and a 52 week high of $2,412.93. The company has a quick ratio of 1.08, a current ratio of 1.08 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.68. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $2,140.71 and its 200 day simple moving average is $2,071.80. The firm has a market capitalization of $28.65 billion, a PE ratio of 10.81, a P/E/G ratio of 0.94 and a beta of 0.85.

First Citizens BancShares (NASDAQ:FCNCA) last released its quarterly earnings data on Friday, January 24th. The bank reported $45.10 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $39.32 by $5.78. First Citizens BancShares had a net margin of 18.55% and a return on equity of 13.22%. On average, equities research analysts predict that First Citizens BancShares, Inc. will post 167.59 EPS for the current fiscal year.

First Citizens BancShares Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 17th. Investors of record on Friday, February 28th will be given a $1.95 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 28th. This represents a $7.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.38%. First Citizens BancShares’s dividend payout ratio is presently 4.12%.

First Citizens BancShares Company Profile

First Citizens BancShares, Inc operates as the holding company for First-Citizens Bank & Trust Company that provides retail and commercial banking services to individuals, businesses, and professionals. The company's deposit products include checking, savings, money market, and time deposit accounts.