Sentry Investment Management LLC Decreases Position in Nasdaq, Inc. (NASDAQ:NDAQ)

Sentry Investment Management LLC trimmed its holdings in shares of Nasdaq, Inc. (NASDAQ:NDAQ) by 9.7% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 1,772 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after selling 190 shares during the quarter. Sentry Investment Management LLC’s holdings in Nasdaq were worth $103,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. RB Capital Management LLC grew its position in Nasdaq by 15.9% during the 1st quarter. RB Capital Management LLC now owns 3,264 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $582,000 after purchasing an additional 448 shares during the last quarter. American Century Companies Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Nasdaq by 10.2% during the first quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 2,209 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $394,000 after buying an additional 205 shares during the period. Raymond James Trust N.A. grew its holdings in shares of Nasdaq by 14.1% during the first quarter. Raymond James Trust N.A. now owns 3,932 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $701,000 after buying an additional 487 shares during the last quarter. Sei Investments Co. increased its position in shares of Nasdaq by 8.4% in the 1st quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 136,395 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $24,319,000 after acquiring an additional 10,623 shares during the period. Finally, Allianz Asset Management GmbH raised its stake in Nasdaq by 32.0% in the 1st quarter. Allianz Asset Management GmbH now owns 316,344 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $56,373,000 after acquiring an additional 76,603 shares during the last quarter. 72.47% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Nasdaq Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ NDAQ opened at $60.07 on Friday. Nasdaq, Inc. has a 1 year low of $46.88 and a 1 year high of $64.25. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.94, a quick ratio of 1.01 and a current ratio of 1.01. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $59.37 and its 200 day moving average price is $55.96. The company has a market capitalization of $34.55 billion, a PE ratio of 28.47, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.73 and a beta of 0.93.

Nasdaq (NASDAQ:NDAQ) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, January 31st. The financial services provider reported $0.72 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.70 by $0.02. Nasdaq had a return on equity of 19.28% and a net margin of 17.48%. The firm had revenue of $1.10 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.08 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.64 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 21.4% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts predict that Nasdaq, Inc. will post 2.75 earnings per share for the current year.

Nasdaq Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, March 28th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, March 14th were given a $0.22 dividend. This represents a $0.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.46%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, March 13th. Nasdaq’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 41.71%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

NDAQ has been the topic of several research analyst reports. StockNews.com upgraded Nasdaq from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 27th. Citigroup upped their target price on Nasdaq from $56.00 to $63.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, January 12th. The Goldman Sachs Group raised shares of Nasdaq from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $73.00 price target for the company in a research report on Tuesday, March 26th. Edward Jones initiated coverage on shares of Nasdaq in a report on Wednesday, April 3rd. They issued a “buy” rating on the stock. Finally, Barclays began coverage on shares of Nasdaq in a research note on Thursday, April 11th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $76.00 price objective on the stock. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Nasdaq presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $67.09.

Insider Transactions at Nasdaq

In related news, major shareholder Dubai Ltd Borse sold 31,000,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, March 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $58.00, for a total value of $1,798,000,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 58,341,545 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,383,809,610. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. In related news, EVP Bryan Everard Smith sold 7,400 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, April 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $62.91, for a total value of $465,534.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 61,672 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,879,785.52. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, major shareholder Dubai Ltd Borse sold 31,000,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $58.00, for a total value of $1,798,000,000.00. Following the sale, the insider now owns 58,341,545 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,383,809,610. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Corporate insiders own 0.75% of the company’s stock.

Nasdaq Profile

Nasdaq, Inc operates as a technology company that serves capital markets and other industries worldwide. It operates in three segments: Capital Access Platforms, Financial Technology, and Market Services. The Capital Access Platforms segment sells and distributes historical and real-time market data; and develops and licenses Nasdaq-branded indices and financial products.