Marietta Investment Partners LLC Buys 89 Shares of Fiserv, Inc. (NYSE:FI)

Marietta Investment Partners LLC raised its holdings in shares of Fiserv, Inc. (NYSE:FI) by 0.2% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 47,302 shares of the business services provider’s stock after buying an additional 89 shares during the quarter. Fiserv comprises about 2.1% of Marietta Investment Partners LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 12th largest position. Marietta Investment Partners LLC’s holdings in Fiserv were worth $9,717,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Valley National Advisers Inc. purchased a new stake in Fiserv during the 4th quarter valued at about $29,000. Marshall Investment Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Fiserv in the 4th quarter worth approximately $29,000. Compass Financial Services Inc bought a new position in Fiserv during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Campbell Capital Management Inc. purchased a new position in Fiserv during the fourth quarter valued at $37,000. Finally, Knuff & Co LLC purchased a new position in Fiserv during the fourth quarter valued at $45,000. 90.98% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Fiserv Price Performance

Shares of FI stock opened at $218.01 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $122.37 billion, a P/E ratio of 40.45, a P/E/G ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 0.93. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.86, a current ratio of 1.06 and a quick ratio of 1.07. Fiserv, Inc. has a 1-year low of $145.98 and a 1-year high of $238.59. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $220.46 and a two-hundred day moving average of $206.01.

Fiserv (NYSE:FI) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The business services provider reported $2.51 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.48 by $0.03. Fiserv had a net margin of 15.31% and a return on equity of 17.93%. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Fiserv, Inc. will post 10.23 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Fiserv declared that its Board of Directors has approved a stock buyback program on Thursday, February 20th that allows the company to buyback 60,000,000 outstanding shares. This buyback authorization allows the business services provider to reacquire shares of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are generally an indication that the company’s leadership believes its stock is undervalued.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts recently commented on the company. Barclays lifted their price objective on Fiserv from $235.00 to $265.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, February 10th. Seaport Res Ptn upgraded Fiserv from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 14th. Morgan Stanley upped their price objective on Fiserv from $258.00 to $267.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 6th. StockNews.com downgraded Fiserv from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 25th. Finally, Citigroup increased their price objective on Fiserv from $230.00 to $233.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 14th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twenty-one have issued a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $239.83.

Insider Activity at Fiserv

In other news, COO Guy Chiarello sold 45,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $235.55, for a total transaction of $10,599,750.00. Following the sale, the chief operating officer now owns 227,711 shares in the company, valued at $53,637,326.05. The trade was a 16.50 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.75% of the company’s stock.

About Fiserv

Fiserv, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, provides payments and financial services technology services in the United States, Europe, the Middle East and Africa, Latin America, the Asia-Pacific, and internationally. It operates through Merchant Acceptance, Financial Technology, and Payments and Network segments.