Charles Schwab (NYSE:SCHW) Insider Nigel Murtagh Sells 4,053 Shares of Stock

The Charles Schwab Corporation (NYSE:SCHW) insider Nigel Murtagh sold 4,053 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, July 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $104.14, for a total transaction of $422,079.42. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 57,972 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,037,204.08. The trade was a 6.53% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan.

Charles Schwab Stock Up 1.9%

Shares of NYSE:SCHW opened at $106.17 on Wednesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $184.65 billion, a PE ratio of 19.30, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.84 and a beta of 0.77. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $94.46 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $95.37. The Charles Schwab Corporation has a 1 year low of $83.96 and a 1 year high of $107.50. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48, a current ratio of 0.62 and a quick ratio of 0.62.

Charles Schwab (NYSE:SCHW) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 21st. The financial services provider reported $1.62 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.56 by $0.06. Charles Schwab had a return on equity of 24.73% and a net margin of 38.79%.The firm had revenue of $7.07 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.90 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.14 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 20.9% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts predict that The Charles Schwab Corporation will post 6.45 EPS for the current year.

Charles Schwab Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 28th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 14th will be given a $0.32 dividend. This represents a $1.28 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 14th. Charles Schwab’s dividend payout ratio is 23.27%.

Charles Schwab News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Charles Schwab this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Planned $20 billion share repurchase: Charles Schwab reportedly plans to buy back $20 billion of its stock, a substantial capital-allocation commitment that could reduce shares outstanding, support earnings per share and signal management’s confidence in the company’s valuation and cash-generation outlook. Charles Schwab to buy back $20 billion of stock
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts continue to favor SCHW as a growth stock: Charles Schwab was included among analysts’ preferred growth names, reflecting confidence in demand trends and longer-term catalysts. The view is consistent with the company’s latest quarterly performance, which included earnings and revenue above consensus and 20.9% year-over-year revenue growth. Best Growth Stocks to Buy This Week
• Positive Sentiment: Retail investor sentiment is improving: Schwab executive James Kostulias said bullishness among retail traders is rising. Greater investor participation and trading activity could support Schwab’s brokerage-related revenue and asset-gathering trends. Charles Schwab executive discusses rising retail bullishness
• Positive Sentiment: Potential cryptocurrency-regulation tailwind: Schwab reportedly backed the CLARITY Act ahead of an August deadline. Clearer digital-asset rules could help established financial firms expand crypto-related products and services, although the legislation remains subject to the legislative process. Charles Schwab backs the CLARITY Act
• Neutral Sentiment: Commentary highlighting “three big reasons” to favor SCHW and a report on billionaire investor Andreas Halvorsen’s holdings add to positive market attention, but these opinions are not new company fundamentals or formal analyst actions. Three big reasons to favor Charles Schwab Andreas Halvorsen’s top picks
• Negative Sentiment: Several insiders sold shares, including General Counsel Peter J. Morgan III and executives Jonathan S. Beatty and Nigel J. Murtagh. The transactions were made under pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plans, reducing their significance as a bearish signal, but they may still create limited investor caution.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on SCHW. UBS Group boosted their target price on shares of Charles Schwab from $122.00 to $128.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 22nd. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Charles Schwab in a research note on Thursday, June 18th. Wolfe Research reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $127.00 price objective on shares of Charles Schwab in a report on Tuesday, July 21st. Piper Sandler set a $118.00 price objective on shares of Charles Schwab in a research report on Tuesday, July 21st. Finally, Zacks Research upgraded shares of Charles Schwab from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, July 9th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have assigned a Buy rating, two have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $119.94.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Charles Schwab

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Dogwood Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Charles Schwab by 99.2% during the fourth quarter. Dogwood Wealth Management LLC now owns 247 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 123 shares during the period. Piscataqua Savings Bank purchased a new stake in Charles Schwab in the fourth quarter worth about $26,000. Scarborough Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Charles Schwab in the first quarter worth about $29,000. Optima Capital LLC bought a new position in Charles Schwab during the 4th quarter worth about $30,000. Finally, McIlrath & Eck LLC grew its holdings in Charles Schwab by 143.2% during the 4th quarter. McIlrath & Eck LLC now owns 321 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $32,000 after acquiring an additional 189 shares in the last quarter. 84.38% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Charles Schwab Company Profile

Charles Schwab Corporation (NYSE: SCHW) is a diversified financial services firm that provides brokerage, banking, wealth management and advisory services to individual investors, independent investment advisors and institutional clients. Its primary offerings include retail brokerage accounts, online trading platforms, Schwab-branded mutual funds and exchange-traded funds (ETFs), retirement plan services, custodial services for independent Registered Investment Advisors (RIAs), and banking products through Charles Schwab Bank.