Prudential Financial (NYSE:PRU) Reaches New 12-Month High on Strong Earnings

Prudential Financial, Inc. (NYSE:PRU) shares reached a new 52-week high during trading on Wednesday after the company announced better than expected quarterly earnings. The company traded as high as $127.72 and last traded at $127.01, with a volume of 190974 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $123.54.

The financial services provider reported $4.08 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.52 by $0.56. Prudential Financial had a net margin of 5.83% and a return on equity of 16.33%. The company had revenue of $14.15 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $14.36 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $3.58 EPS.

Prudential Financial Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, June 11th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, May 26th were paid a $1.40 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, May 26th. This represents a $5.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.4%. Prudential Financial’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 57.61%.

Key Prudential Financial News

Here are the key news stories impacting Prudential Financial this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Adjusted earnings beat expectations. Prudential reported second-quarter adjusted operating income of $4.08 per share, up from $3.58 a year earlier and above analyst estimates of roughly $3.47-$3.52. Net income attributable to the company also rose to $985 million, or $2.80 per share, from $533 million, or $1.48 per share. Prudential Q2 Earnings and Revenues Top Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Capital strength and asset growth provided support. Assets under management reached $1.642 trillion, while PGIM assets under management increased 4% year over year to $1.491 trillion. Prudential returned $743 million to shareholders through dividends and share repurchases, and book value per share improved to $90.50 from $85.98. Prudential Financial Announces Second Quarter 2026 Results
• Neutral Sentiment: Revenue slightly missed estimates. Quarterly revenue was approximately $14.15-$14.16 billion, modestly below the $14.36 billion consensus forecast, tempering the otherwise strong earnings beat. Results also included a $299 million after-tax charge tied to the annual assumption update and other refinements. Prudential Q2 Earnings and Revenues Top Estimates
• Negative Sentiment: China offshore-insurance tax concerns dominated trading. Reuters reported that Chinese tax authorities are levying personal income tax on returns from offshore insurance policies. Investors may view this as a threat to the attractiveness and growth of Prudential’s offshore insurance business, outweighing the quarterly earnings beat. Prudential Slides After Report on China Offshore Insurance Tax

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on PRU shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on Prudential Financial from $117.00 to $129.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 21st. Mizuho upped their target price on shares of Prudential Financial from $101.00 to $109.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, July 9th. Barclays lifted their price target on shares of Prudential Financial from $90.00 to $92.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 7th. UBS Group decreased their price objective on shares of Prudential Financial from $105.00 to $98.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, April 9th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on Prudential Financial from $100.00 to $103.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, July 9th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and five have assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Reduce” and an average target price of $105.46.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, major shareholder Insurance Co Of Ame Prudential sold 214,746 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, July 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $24.75, for a total value of $5,314,963.50. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 7,973,657 shares in the company, valued at $197,348,010.75. This represents a 2.62% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 0.05% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Prudential Financial

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Brighton Jones LLC grew its stake in shares of Prudential Financial by 3.7% in the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 3,681 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $436,000 after purchasing an additional 133 shares during the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Prudential Financial by 30.5% during the first quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 17,690 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $1,976,000 after purchasing an additional 4,134 shares during the period. Brown Advisory Inc. increased its stake in Prudential Financial by 3.5% in the 2nd quarter. Brown Advisory Inc. now owns 4,164 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $447,000 after buying an additional 140 shares during the period. AXA S.A. lifted its stake in shares of Prudential Financial by 25.8% in the 2nd quarter. AXA S.A. now owns 56,700 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $6,092,000 after acquiring an additional 11,630 shares during the period. Finally, NewEdge Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Prudential Financial by 15.1% in the second quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 37,277 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $4,005,000 after acquiring an additional 4,895 shares in the last quarter. 56.83% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Prudential Financial Stock Up 2.2%

The company has a quick ratio of 0.16, a current ratio of 0.16 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.58. The stock has a market capitalization of $43.82 billion, a PE ratio of 12.99, a PEG ratio of 2.44 and a beta of 0.84. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $111.66 and its 200-day moving average is $104.53.

Prudential Financial Company Profile

Prudential Financial, Inc, headquartered in Newark, New Jersey, is a diversified financial services company with roots dating to 1875. The firm provides a range of insurance, retirement and investment products aimed at helping individual and institutional clients manage risk, accumulate and protect wealth, and plan for retirement. Prudential’s long history in life insurance and related financial services has positioned it as a major participant in the U.S. insurance market and a provider of services to a broad client base.

Prudential’s core business activities include individual life insurance, annuities, retirement solutions and group insurance products for employers.