Choate Investment Advisors Increases Stake in Fiserv, Inc.

Choate Investment Advisors has increased its stake in Fiserv, Inc. (NYSE:FI - Free Report) by 9.2% during the fourth quarter, as reported in their latest filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. This institutional investment firm now holds 172,655 shares of Fiserv after acquiring an additional 14,546 shares during the period. Fiserv represents about 0.9% of Choate Investment Advisors’ overall portfolio, making it the firm’s 17th largest investment. The value of Choate’s holdings in Fiserv reached approximately $35,475,000 at the conclusion of the last quarter.

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In addition to Choate, several other institutional investors have made adjustments to their positions in Fiserv. For example, KBC Group NV boosted its stake by 10.0% during the third quarter, bringing their total holdings to 137,043 shares worth $24,619,000 after adding 12,413 shares. Similarly, Curi RMB Capital LLC increased its position by 1.8%, owning 44,030 shares valued at $7,910,000 after acquiring 763 additional shares last quarter. Metis Global Partners LLC raised its position by 0.6%, now holding 22,698 shares valued at $4,078,000 after a buy of 132 shares. Tokio Marine Asset Management Co. Ltd. raised its stake by 4.7% and now possesses 16,032 shares worth $2,880,000 following the purchase of 722 shares. Additionally, Ferguson Wellman Capital Management Inc. expanded its holdings by 1.1%, owning 8,918 shares worth $1,602,000 after acquiring an extra 100 shares during the period. Overall, institutional investors and hedge funds control about 90.98% of Fiserv's stock.

Fiserv Sees Stock Increase of 2.6%

On Friday, shares of Fiserv, Inc. opened at $214.91. The stock has seen a 1-year low of $145.98 and a high of $238.59. Currently, the stock's fifty-day moving average is $218.96, and the two-hundred day moving average stands at $204.40. Fiserv has a market capitalization of $120.62 billion with a price-to-earnings ratio of 39.87, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.52, and a beta of 0.93. The company's quick ratio is 1.07, the current ratio is 1.06, and its debt-to-equity ratio is 0.86.

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Fiserv (NYSE:FI - Get Free Report) released its quarterly earnings results on February 5th, reporting $2.51 earnings per share, which exceeded the expected consensus of $2.48 by $0.03. The company displayed a return on equity of 17.93% and a net margin of 15.31%. Analysts predict that Fiserv, Inc. will post earnings of $10.23 per share for the current fiscal year.

Moreover, Fiserv's Board of Directors approved a share buyback plan on February 20th, allowing the company to repurchase up to 60,000,000 of its outstanding shares. This decision often signifies that the board believes the stock has a lower valuation compared to its potential.

Insider Transactions at Fiserv

• Fiserv Is Up 50% This Year and Can Go Another 50% Higher

In a related development, Chief Operating Officer Guy Chiarello sold 45,000 shares on February 20th, with each share selling at an average price of $235.55, totaling $10,599,750.00. After this sale, Chiarello retains 227,711 shares valued at approximately $53,637,326.05, reflecting a 16.50% decrease in his stake. The transaction details are filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission and are open for public access. Insiders at Fiserv collectively own about 0.75% of the stock.

Analysts Update Price Targets

Recent comments from analysts reflect shifting perspectives on Fiserv’s stock. Morgan Stanley raised their price target from $258.00 to $267.00 and assigned an "overweight" rating in a note released on February 6th. Similarly, Seaport Res Ptn upgraded Fiserv from "hold" to "strong-buy" in a report dated January 14th. However, StockNews.com downgraded Fiserv’s rating from "buy" to "hold" on February 25th. Additionally, Royal Bank of Canada increased their price target from $255.00 to $270.00, assigning an "outperform" rating on February 6th. Finally, Stephens raised their target for Fiserv from $255.00 to $270.00 and sustained their "overweight" rating. Currently, three analysts suggest holding the stock, twenty-one recommend buying, and two have issued a strong buy rating, resulting in an average rating of "Moderate Buy" with a consensus price target of $239.83.

Check Out Our Latest Research Report on FI

About Fiserv

(Free Report)

Fiserv, Inc., along with its subsidiaries, provides a variety of financial services technology and payment solutions across the globe including the United States, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Asia-Pacific regions.

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