Azora Capital LP Has $67.47 Million Stake in Carlyle Group Inc. $CG

Azora Capital LP increased its holdings in shares of Carlyle Group Inc. (NASDAQ:CG) by 79.6% during the third quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 1,076,083 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 477,031 shares during the quarter. Carlyle Group accounts for about 3.1% of Azora Capital LP’s holdings, making the stock its 10th biggest position. Azora Capital LP’s holdings in Carlyle Group were worth $67,470,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Generali Asset Management SPA SGR acquired a new stake in shares of Carlyle Group in the third quarter valued at approximately $1,913,000. Fifth Third Bancorp grew its position in Carlyle Group by 28.7% during the third quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 107,198 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $6,721,000 after buying an additional 23,901 shares in the last quarter. New York State Common Retirement Fund lifted its position in shares of Carlyle Group by 16.3% during the 3rd quarter. New York State Common Retirement Fund now owns 207,395 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $13,004,000 after acquiring an additional 29,000 shares during the period. Onyx Bridge Wealth Group LLC bought a new position in shares of Carlyle Group in the third quarter worth $1,564,000. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. raised its stake in Carlyle Group by 2.9% in the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 25,434,009 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $1,594,712,000 after purchasing an additional 714,428 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 55.88% of the company’s stock.

Carlyle Group Stock Up 0.7%

CG stock opened at $45.64 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $16.48 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.94, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.88 and a beta of 2.07. The company has a current ratio of 2.33, a quick ratio of 2.33 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.90. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $57.14 and a 200-day moving average price of $58.48. Carlyle Group Inc. has a 12 month low of $33.02 and a 12 month high of $69.85.

Carlyle Group (NASDAQ:CG) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 5th. The financial services provider reported $1.01 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.04 by ($0.03). Carlyle Group had a return on equity of 23.62% and a net margin of 16.92%.The company had revenue of $1.90 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.09 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.92 earnings per share. Carlyle Group’s revenue for the quarter was up 84.1% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Carlyle Group Inc. will post 4.48 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Carlyle Group Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 20th. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 16th were paid a $0.35 dividend. This represents a $1.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.1%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 13th. Carlyle Group’s dividend payout ratio is presently 64.22%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

CG has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. TD Cowen raised their target price on shares of Carlyle Group from $65.00 to $67.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, February 27th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Carlyle Group from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, March 7th. Wolfe Research reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of Carlyle Group in a research note on Wednesday, January 7th. Royal Bank Of Canada initiated coverage on Carlyle Group in a research note on Monday, February 23rd. They set an “outperform” rating and a $67.00 target price for the company. Finally, BMO Capital Markets reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $65.00 target price on shares of Carlyle Group in a report on Thursday, March 5th. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $65.36.

About Carlyle Group

The Carlyle Group (NASDAQ: CG) is a global alternative asset manager that invests across a range of strategies including private equity, real assets (such as real estate and infrastructure), global credit, and investment solutions. Founded in 1987 and headquartered in Washington, DC, Carlyle raises and manages investment funds that acquire, operate and exit companies and assets on behalf of institutional and private investors. The firm is publicly traded on the Nasdaq exchange and operates as an asset manager and investment advisor rather than as an operating company.

Carlyle’s core activities include sourcing and executing private equity buyouts and growth investments, originating and managing credit and financing solutions, and acquiring and operating real asset portfolios.