Voya Financial, Inc. (NYSE:VOYA) Shares Purchased by Bridgewater Associates LP

Bridgewater Associates LP increased its position in Voya Financial, Inc. (NYSE:VOYA) by 281.8% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 84,315 shares of the asset manager’s stock after purchasing an additional 62,232 shares during the quarter. Bridgewater Associates LP’s holdings in Voya Financial were worth $6,679,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Townsquare Capital LLC purchased a new position in Voya Financial in the 3rd quarter valued at about $251,000. BNP Paribas Financial Markets boosted its holdings in Voya Financial by 52.8% in the third quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 56,878 shares of the asset manager’s stock valued at $4,506,000 after purchasing an additional 19,654 shares during the last quarter. Brooklyn Investment Group acquired a new stake in Voya Financial during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $79,000. Quantbot Technologies LP purchased a new stake in Voya Financial during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $1,913,000. Finally, Prospector Partners LLC raised its position in shares of Voya Financial by 37.9% in the 3rd quarter. Prospector Partners LLC now owns 159,418 shares of the asset manager’s stock valued at $12,629,000 after purchasing an additional 43,786 shares in the last quarter. 96.10% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Barclays raised their price target on shares of Voya Financial from $84.00 to $85.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 8th. Raymond James lowered shares of Voya Financial from a “strong-buy” rating to a “market perform” rating in a report on Friday, September 13th. UBS Group upgraded shares of Voya Financial to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Monday, November 11th. Evercore ISI increased their price target on shares of Voya Financial from $79.00 to $82.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, September 11th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered Voya Financial from an “overweight” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $87.00 price objective for the company. in a report on Thursday, October 3rd. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Voya Financial currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $86.00.

Voya Financial Stock Up 0.1 %

NYSE:VOYA opened at $83.00 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $7.99 billion, a PE ratio of 13.22, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.58 and a beta of 1.03. Voya Financial, Inc. has a 52 week low of $63.11 and a 52 week high of $84.30. The company has a current ratio of 0.31, a quick ratio of 0.31 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $80.53 and a 200-day moving average of $74.75.

Voya Financial (NYSE:VOYA) last posted its earnings results on Monday, November 4th. The asset manager reported $2.12 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.05 by $0.07. Voya Financial had a net margin of 8.81% and a return on equity of 15.09%. The firm had revenue of $1.96 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.86 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $2.07 EPS. Voya Financial’s quarterly revenue was up 7.3% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts predict that Voya Financial, Inc. will post 8.4 EPS for the current year.

Voya Financial Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 26th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, November 26th will be paid a dividend of $0.45 per share. This represents a $1.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.17%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, November 26th. Voya Financial’s payout ratio is currently 28.66%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, insider Tony D. Oh sold 715 shares of Voya Financial stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $81.95, for a total transaction of $58,594.25. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. 1.37% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Voya Financial Profile

Voya Financial, Inc engages in the provision of workplace benefits and savings products in the United States and internationally. The company operates through three segments: Wealth Solutions, Health Solutions, and Investment Management. The Wealth Solutions segment offers full-service retirement products; recordkeeping services; stable value and fixed general account investment products; non-qualified plan administration services; and tools, guidance, and services to promote the financial well-being and retirement security of employees.