Principal Financial Group Inc. Acquires 89,058 Shares of Carter’s, Inc. $CRI

Principal Financial Group Inc. increased its holdings in Carter’s, Inc. (NYSE:CRI) by 49.3% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 269,687 shares of the textile maker’s stock after purchasing an additional 89,058 shares during the period. Principal Financial Group Inc. owned approximately 0.74% of Carter’s worth $7,611,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Versant Capital Management Inc raised its holdings in shares of Carter’s by 135.4% in the 3rd quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 1,415 shares of the textile maker’s stock worth $40,000 after buying an additional 814 shares in the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC grew its position in Carter’s by 202.6% in the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,486 shares of the textile maker’s stock valued at $45,000 after acquiring an additional 995 shares during the period. Ameritas Investment Partners Inc. acquired a new position in Carter’s during the second quarter worth $110,000. Covestor Ltd lifted its holdings in shares of Carter’s by 43.1% during the third quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 4,216 shares of the textile maker’s stock valued at $119,000 after acquiring an additional 1,269 shares during the period. Finally, Tower Research Capital LLC TRC boosted its stake in shares of Carter’s by 217.6% in the 2nd quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 5,805 shares of the textile maker’s stock valued at $175,000 after purchasing an additional 3,977 shares in the last quarter.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

CRI has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Carter’s from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Monday, January 19th. Barclays raised their price objective on shares of Carter’s from $23.00 to $26.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 28th. Citigroup raised Carter’s from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and boosted their target price for the stock from $34.00 to $50.00 in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on Carter’s from $22.00 to $25.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 28th. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a “sell (d+)” rating on shares of Carter’s in a report on Friday, January 9th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, one has issued a Buy rating, one has assigned a Hold rating and four have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and an average target price of $32.60.

Carter’s Stock Up 5.3%

NYSE CRI opened at $40.15 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.46 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.25 and a beta of 1.06. Carter’s, Inc. has a 52 week low of $23.38 and a 52 week high of $54.58. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.58, a quick ratio of 0.95 and a current ratio of 2.26. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $34.66 and a 200-day moving average of $31.15.

Carter’s Company Profile

Carter’s, Inc (NYSE: CRI) is a leading designer and marketer of infant and young children’s apparel in North America. Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, the company’s core business focuses on creating clothing and accessories for babies and children, including bodysuits, sleepwear, layette, outerwear and accessories that blend comfort, safety and style. Carter’s flagship brand is complemented by its OshKosh B’gosh line, which offers heritage-inspired designs and durable fabrics for toddlers and young kids.

The company distributes its products through a diversified platform that includes wholesale partnerships with major department stores and mass merchandisers, direct‐to‐consumer e-commerce sites, and an extensive network of company-operated retail stores.