Erste Group Bank Boosts Earnings Estimates for Citigroup

Citigroup Inc. (NYSE:C) – Erste Group Bank increased their FY2027 earnings estimates for shares of Citigroup in a report released on Thursday, June 25th. Erste Group Bank analyst H. Engel now expects that the company will post earnings of $12.64 per share for the year, up from their previous estimate of $12.53. The consensus estimate for Citigroup’s current full-year earnings is $10.83 per share.

Other equities analysts have also issued research reports about the company. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods increased their target price on Citigroup from $140.00 to $153.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, May 8th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective on Citigroup from $162.00 to $165.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, June 18th. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $139.00 price objective on shares of Citigroup in a research report on Wednesday, April 15th. Truist Financial lifted their target price on Citigroup from $147.00 to $158.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on shares of Citigroup from $131.00 to $135.50 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 30th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have given a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $139.62.

Citigroup Trading Down 1.8%

Shares of NYSE:C opened at $139.97 on Wednesday. Citigroup has a 12-month low of $84.77 and a 12-month high of $147.96. The stock has a market cap of $238.73 billion, a PE ratio of 17.34, a P/E/G ratio of 0.61 and a beta of 1.12. The business has a 50 day moving average of $131.97 and a 200-day moving average of $121.35. The company has a quick ratio of 0.99, a current ratio of 0.99 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.59.

Citigroup (NYSE:C) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 14th. The company reported $3.06 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.63 by $0.43. The firm had revenue of $24.63 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $22.96 billion. Citigroup had a net margin of 9.35% and a return on equity of 9.19%. The business’s revenue was up 14.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.96 EPS.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of C. Truist Financial Corp raised its position in Citigroup by 4.7% during the fourth quarter. Truist Financial Corp now owns 375,977 shares of the company’s stock valued at $43,873,000 after purchasing an additional 16,744 shares in the last quarter. Gunderson Capital Management Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Citigroup in the 4th quarter valued at $7,165,000. Brighton Jones LLC increased its stake in shares of Citigroup by 166.9% in the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 19,990 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,407,000 after purchasing an additional 12,499 shares during the last quarter. UniSuper Management Pty Ltd increased its stake in shares of Citigroup by 38.8% in the 4th quarter. UniSuper Management Pty Ltd now owns 1,306,851 shares of the company’s stock valued at $152,496,000 after purchasing an additional 365,041 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Nordea Investment Management AB raised its holdings in shares of Citigroup by 11.8% during the 4th quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 7,986,407 shares of the company’s stock worth $933,891,000 after buying an additional 844,056 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 71.72% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director John Cunningham Dugan sold 2,117 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $125.30, for a total transaction of $265,260.10. Following the sale, the director owned 12,194 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,527,908.20. This represents a 14.79% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, insider Edward Skyler sold 25,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, April 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $131.41, for a total value of $3,285,250.00. Following the transaction, the insider owned 182,022 shares in the company, valued at approximately $23,919,511.02. This trade represents a 12.08% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Corporate insiders own 0.11% of the company’s stock.

Citigroup announced that its Board of Directors has authorized a stock repurchase program on Thursday, May 7th that allows the company to buyback $30.00 billion in shares. This buyback authorization allows the company to purchase up to 13.7% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are often an indication that the company’s leadership believes its shares are undervalued.

Citigroup Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 22nd. Investors of record on Monday, May 4th were paid a $0.60 dividend. This represents a $2.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.7%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, May 4th. Citigroup’s payout ratio is 29.74%.

Citigroup News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Citigroup this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Citigroup has been highlighted for its growing use of AI to improve efficiency, lower costs, and enhance customer experience, which could support longer-term margin expansion. Citigroup Bets Big on AI to Drive Efficiency & Long-Term Growth
• Positive Sentiment: The bank also recently completed the Federal Reserve stress test and announced a $30 billion share repurchase program along with a higher dividend, signaling confidence in capital strength and shareholder returns. Should Citi’s (C) US$30 Billion Buyback and Dividend Hike Require Action From Investors?
• Neutral Sentiment: Citi’s own market commentary noted bearish flows are building in the Nasdaq and S&P 500, suggesting a more risk-off backdrop that could pressure financial stocks broadly rather than just Citigroup specifically. Citi says bearish flows are building in Nasdaq and S&P 500
• Negative Sentiment: A separate note warned that major bank stocks are already trading near highs and may be due for a pullback, which can weigh on sentiment around Citigroup even if its fundamentals remain solid. Bank Stocks Are Doing Great, but It’s Time to ‘Take the Money and Run’

About Citigroup

Citigroup Inc is a global financial services company headquartered in New York City with roots tracing back to the City Bank of New York, founded in 1812. The modern Citigroup was created through the 1998 merger of Citicorp and Travelers Group and has since operated as a diversified bank holding company that provides a broad range of banking and financial products and services to consumers, corporations, governments and institutions worldwide.

Citi’s principal businesses include retail and commercial banking, credit card and consumer lending products, wealth management and private banking, and a full suite of institutional services.