The PNC Financial Services Group (NYSE:PNC) Downgraded to Sell at StockNews.com

StockNews.com downgraded shares of The PNC Financial Services Group (NYSE:PNC) from a hold rating to a sell rating in a research note released on Friday.

A number of other research firms have also weighed in on PNC. Evercore ISI lowered their price target on shares of The PNC Financial Services Group from $184.00 to $175.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 17th. Jefferies Financial Group lowered their price target on shares of The PNC Financial Services Group from $171.00 to $162.00 and set a hold rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 17th. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their price objective on shares of The PNC Financial Services Group from $151.00 to $168.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a report on Monday, April 1st. Morgan Stanley raised their price objective on shares of The PNC Financial Services Group from $142.00 to $158.00 and gave the stock an underweight rating in a report on Tuesday, January 30th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reissued an underperform rating and set a $152.00 price objective on shares of The PNC Financial Services Group in a report on Wednesday, April 17th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have issued a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $156.63.

The PNC Financial Services Group Stock Performance

NYSE:PNC opened at $156.11 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.85, a current ratio of 0.85 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.42. The company has a market cap of $62.10 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.11, a P/E/G ratio of 1.76 and a beta of 1.18. The PNC Financial Services Group has a fifty-two week low of $109.40 and a fifty-two week high of $162.24. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $152.76 and its two-hundred day moving average is $143.22.

The PNC Financial Services Group (NYSE:PNC) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 16th. The financial services provider reported $3.10 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.09 by $0.01. The company had revenue of $5.15 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.19 billion. The PNC Financial Services Group had a net margin of 16.05% and a return on equity of 11.64%. The PNC Financial Services Group’s revenue was down 8.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $3.98 earnings per share. Analysts expect that The PNC Financial Services Group will post 12.65 EPS for the current year.

The PNC Financial Services Group Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Sunday, May 5th. Investors of record on Monday, April 15th will be given a $1.55 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, April 12th. This represents a $6.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.97%. The PNC Financial Services Group’s dividend payout ratio is presently 52.06%.

Insider Activity at The PNC Financial Services Group

In other The PNC Financial Services Group news, EVP Michael J. Hannon sold 3,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $148.82, for a total transaction of $446,460.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 36,570 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,442,347.40. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. 0.42% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of The PNC Financial Services Group

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Rockline Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of The PNC Financial Services Group during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $1,825,000. KPP Advisory Services LLC acquired a new stake in shares of The PNC Financial Services Group during the third quarter valued at approximately $323,000. AQR Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of The PNC Financial Services Group by 144.2% during the third quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 114,296 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $14,032,000 after acquiring an additional 67,490 shares during the period. Trust Point Inc. bought a new stake in The PNC Financial Services Group in the fourth quarter worth approximately $459,000. Finally, McGlone Suttner Wealth Management Inc. bought a new stake in The PNC Financial Services Group in the fourth quarter worth approximately $295,000. 83.53% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

About The PNC Financial Services Group

The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc operates as a diversified financial services company in the United States. It operates through three segments: Retail Banking, Corporate & Institutional Banking, and Asset Management Group segments. The company's Retail Banking segment offers checking, savings, and money market accounts, as well as time deposit; residential mortgages, home equity loans and lines of credit, auto loans, credit cards, education loans, and personal and small business loans and lines of credit; and brokerage, insurance, and investment and cash management services.