Dimensional Fund Advisors LP Sells 149,918 Shares of Ally Financial Inc. $ALLY

Dimensional Fund Advisors LP reduced its holdings in Ally Financial Inc. (NYSE:ALLY) by 1.8% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 8,413,894 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after selling 149,918 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP’s holdings in Ally Financial were worth $329,838,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Norges Bank bought a new stake in shares of Ally Financial during the 2nd quarter valued at $95,897,000. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership increased its holdings in Ally Financial by 39.3% in the second quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 5,400,560 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $210,352,000 after purchasing an additional 1,523,425 shares during the last quarter. Marshall Wace LLP acquired a new position in Ally Financial in the second quarter valued at about $51,661,000. American Century Companies Inc. lifted its stake in Ally Financial by 196.2% in the second quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 1,720,656 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $67,020,000 after buying an additional 1,139,703 shares during the period. Finally, Hudson Bay Capital Management LP bought a new position in Ally Financial during the second quarter worth about $44,101,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 88.76% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity at Ally Financial

In other news, CEO Michael George Rhodes purchased 23,800 shares of Ally Financial stock in a transaction on Friday, January 23rd. The stock was purchased at an average price of $41.68 per share, with a total value of $991,984.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 49,434 shares in the company, valued at $2,060,409.12. The trade was a 92.85% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CFO Russell E. Hutchinson purchased 11,566 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, January 27th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $43.17 per share, with a total value of $499,304.22. Following the completion of the purchase, the chief financial officer directly owned 225,336 shares in the company, valued at approximately $9,727,755.12. This represents a 5.41% increase in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Insiders own 0.67% of the company’s stock.

Ally Financial Stock Down 1.2%

Shares of ALLY stock opened at $39.94 on Friday. Ally Financial Inc. has a 12-month low of $29.52 and a 12-month high of $47.27. The company has a quick ratio of 0.92, a current ratio of 0.92 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.30. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $42.81 and a 200-day moving average of $41.67. The company has a market capitalization of $12.35 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.00, a P/E/G ratio of 0.21 and a beta of 1.18.

Ally Financial (NYSE:ALLY) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, January 21st. The financial services provider reported $1.09 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.01 by $0.08. Ally Financial had a net margin of 10.77% and a return on equity of 10.40%. The firm had revenue of $2.17 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.15 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $0.78 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.8% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Ally Financial Inc. will post 3.57 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Ally Financial declared that its board has approved a share buyback program on Wednesday, December 10th that allows the company to buyback $2.00 billion in shares. This buyback authorization allows the financial services provider to repurchase up to 15.3% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are often an indication that the company’s board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.

Ally Financial Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, February 17th. Investors of record on Monday, February 2nd were given a $0.30 dividend. This represents a $1.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, February 2nd. Ally Financial’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 51.06%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts recently weighed in on ALLY shares. Wells Fargo & Company upgraded shares of Ally Financial from a “hold” rating to an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 17th. Evercore lowered their target price on shares of Ally Financial from $53.00 to $51.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. TD Cowen reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Ally Financial in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Barclays boosted their price target on shares of Ally Financial from $44.00 to $54.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Monday, January 5th. Finally, Wall Street Zen downgraded Ally Financial from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Sunday, November 9th. Thirteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $50.31.

Ally Financial Company Profile

Ally Financial Inc is a leading digital financial services company headquartered in Detroit, Michigan. The company offers a comprehensive suite of banking, lending, and insurance products designed for retail and commercial customers. Through its online-only platform, Ally Bank provides checking and savings accounts, certificates of deposit, money market accounts, and home mortgages, emphasizing competitive rates and user-friendly mobile and web experiences.

In addition to its banking operations, Ally Financial is a major player in automotive financing and leasing.