Dempze Nancy E Decreases Stock Holdings in Fiserv, Inc. (NYSE:FI)

Dempze Nancy E lessened its position in shares of Fiserv, Inc. (NYSE:FI) by 3.0% in the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 27,283 shares of the business services provider’s stock after selling 843 shares during the period. Fiserv comprises approximately 3.2% of Dempze Nancy E’s portfolio, making the stock its 7th biggest holding. Dempze Nancy E’s holdings in Fiserv were worth $5,604,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also made changes to their positions in FI. Norges Bank acquired a new position in Fiserv during the fourth quarter worth about $1,406,452,000. Raymond James Financial Inc. acquired a new position in Fiserv during the 4th quarter worth approximately $614,982,000. Alliancebernstein L.P. lifted its stake in Fiserv by 65.6% in the 4th quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 5,437,246 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $1,116,919,000 after purchasing an additional 2,153,554 shares during the last quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA boosted its position in Fiserv by 16.2% in the fourth quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 8,030,889 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $1,649,705,000 after buying an additional 1,121,597 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Madison Investment Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Fiserv during the fourth quarter worth $134,710,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 90.98% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts have recently commented on FI shares. The Goldman Sachs Group upgraded Fiserv from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and increased their price target for the company from $246.00 to $260.00 in a research note on Wednesday. Barclays boosted their price target on Fiserv from $235.00 to $265.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, February 10th. Susquehanna raised their price objective on shares of Fiserv from $230.00 to $270.00 and gave the company a “positive” rating in a report on Monday, February 10th. Seaport Res Ptn raised shares of Fiserv from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 14th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on shares of Fiserv from $240.00 to $270.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, twenty-two have issued a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Fiserv presently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $243.64.

Fiserv Stock Down 8.4 %

Shares of NYSE FI opened at $198.77 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.07, a current ratio of 1.06 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.86. The firm has a market cap of $111.57 billion, a PE ratio of 36.88, a P/E/G ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 0.91. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $222.85 and its 200 day simple moving average is $209.18. Fiserv, Inc. has a 12-month low of $145.98 and a 12-month high of $238.59.

Fiserv (NYSE:FI) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 5th. The business services provider reported $2.51 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.48 by $0.03. Fiserv had a net margin of 15.31% and a return on equity of 17.93%. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Fiserv, Inc. will post 10.23 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Fiserv declared that its Board of Directors has authorized a stock buyback plan on Thursday, February 20th that allows the company to repurchase 60,000,000 outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization allows the business services provider to buy shares of its stock through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are often an indication that the company’s board believes its shares are undervalued.

Insider Buying and Selling at Fiserv

In related news, COO Guy Chiarello sold 45,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $235.55, for a total value of $10,599,750.00. Following the transaction, the chief operating officer now directly owns 227,711 shares in the company, valued at $53,637,326.05. This trade represents a 16.50 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Insiders own 0.75% of the company’s stock.

Fiserv Company Profile

Fiserv, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, provides payments and financial services technology services in the United States, Europe, the Middle East and Africa, Latin America, the Asia-Pacific, and internationally. It operates through Merchant Acceptance, Financial Technology, and Payments and Network segments.