Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. Acquires 35,811 Shares of Prudential plc (NYSE:PUK)

Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Prudential plc (NYSE:PUK) by 62.7% in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 92,918 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 35,811 shares during the period. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc.’s holdings in Prudential were worth $1,481,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in PUK. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC grew its holdings in Prudential by 417.0% during the 4th quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 1,856 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 1,497 shares in the last quarter. Whipplewood Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Prudential in the fourth quarter worth $30,000. Advisors Preferred LLC bought a new position in shares of Prudential during the fourth quarter worth $31,000. GAMMA Investing LLC grew its stake in Prudential by 95.8% during the fourth quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 2,303 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $37,000 after acquiring an additional 1,127 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Ballentine Partners LLC bought a new stake in Prudential in the 4th quarter valued at $163,000. Institutional investors own 1.90% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, StockNews.com raised shares of Prudential from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, March 22nd.

Prudential Price Performance

NYSE PUK opened at $21.46 on Friday. Prudential plc has a 1-year low of $14.39 and a 1-year high of $22.01. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $18.37 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $17.22. The stock has a market capitalization of $28.24 billion, a PE ratio of 9.25, a P/E/G ratio of 0.41 and a beta of 1.21.

Prudential Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, May 14th. Investors of record on Friday, March 28th will be given a $0.3258 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 28th. This is a boost from Prudential’s previous dividend of $0.24. Prudential’s payout ratio is currently 28.02%.

About Prudential

Prudential plc, through its subsidiaries, provides life and health insurance, and asset management solutions to individuals in Asia and Africa. The company was founded in 1848 and is headquartered in Central, Hong Kong.