Retirement Systems of Alabama Buys New Stake in TransUnion $TRU

Retirement Systems of Alabama purchased a new position in TransUnion (NYSE:TRU) during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund purchased 297,524 shares of the business services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $24,927,000.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. increased its holdings in shares of TransUnion by 1,318.2% in the first quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 312 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 290 shares during the last quarter. Generali Asset Management SPA SGR bought a new position in TransUnion during the second quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Elevation Point Wealth Partners LLC purchased a new position in TransUnion during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $34,000. MAI Capital Management increased its stake in TransUnion by 333.3% in the 2nd quarter. MAI Capital Management now owns 403 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $35,000 after acquiring an additional 310 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Osterweis Capital Management Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of TransUnion during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $45,000.

TransUnion Stock Down 2.2%

Shares of NYSE:TRU opened at $83.94 on Monday. The firm has a market capitalization of $16.30 billion, a PE ratio of 39.22, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.58 and a beta of 1.72. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $84.56 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $86.08. TransUnion has a 1 year low of $66.38 and a 1 year high of $101.19. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.10, a current ratio of 2.01 and a quick ratio of 2.01.

TransUnion (NYSE:TRU) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 23rd. The business services provider reported $1.10 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.04 by $0.06. TransUnion had a return on equity of 16.05% and a net margin of 9.47%.The firm had revenue of $1.17 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.13 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.04 EPS. TransUnion’s quarterly revenue was up 7.8% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts predict that TransUnion will post 3.99 EPS for the current year.

TransUnion Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 8th. Stockholders of record on Friday, November 21st were given a dividend of $0.115 per share. This represents a $0.46 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.5%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, November 21st. TransUnion’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 21.50%.

Insider Transactions at TransUnion

In other news, insider Steven M. Chaouki sold 1,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, January 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $85.71, for a total transaction of $85,710.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 61,592 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,279,050.32. The trade was a 1.60% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP Tiffani Chambers sold 4,318 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, December 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $86.00, for a total transaction of $371,348.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 50,427 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,336,722. The trade was a 7.89% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 8,318 shares of company stock worth $704,958. 0.25% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

TRU has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Needham & Company LLC reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $115.00 target price on shares of TransUnion in a report on Monday, October 20th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price objective on shares of TransUnion from $118.00 to $100.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, January 14th. Stifel Nicolaus set a $103.00 price objective on shares of TransUnion in a research note on Friday, October 24th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on shares of TransUnion from $118.00 to $107.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, October 24th. Finally, Morgan Stanley lowered their price target on shares of TransUnion from $122.00 to $120.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, December 17th. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $101.08.

TransUnion Company Profile

TransUnion is a global information and insights company that helps businesses and consumers make critical decisions using data and analytics. As one of the three major credit bureaus in the United States, TransUnion collects and aggregates credit information on individuals and businesses, providing credit reports, risk scores and portfolio management tools to financial institutions, lenders, landlords and other decision makers. Its consumer-facing products enable individuals to monitor credit status, detect identity theft and access personalized financial insights.

The company’s offerings span credit risk assessment, identity management, fraud prevention and marketing solutions.