Comments for PFG - Stockpickr! Your Source for Stock Ideas

Comments for PFG

Added By	Comments	Type	Date Added
RhinoStocks	Increased dividend to $0.50 from $0.45 for shareholders of record on November 13.	Love	November 03, 2009
barrons3	When Principal Financial Group (PFG) appeared in this space in October 2008, it had cut its annual dividend in half as the equity markets imploded. But last Monday, the company, a top administrator of employer-sponsored retirement plans, enriched its payout 11%, to 50 cents a share from 45 cents. Disbursement is scheduled for Dec. 4 to investors of record Nov. 13. The stock goes ex-dividend Nov. 10. The new payout, however, is still below the record 90 cents a share Principal paid in 2007. Dividends were initiated in October 2002 at the annual rate of 25 cents a share and sweetened every year prior to the aforementioned cut. Principal , by the way, chose not to participate in Uncle Sam's Troubled Asset Relief Program, or TARP, under which it had been approved to receive $2 billion. Rather, in May, it raised $1.9 billion via a stock sale and an offering of long-term debt.	Love	October 31, 2009
barrons3	Neutral - Price 26.03 on Sept. 25 by Sterne Agee We are downgrading PFG to Neutral, from Buy, on valuation -- as we view the risk/reward from current levels to be largely balanced. Our 33 price target remains intact, based on 12 times our 2010 EPS estimate of $2.75. We expect credit improvement since June 30 has pushed BVPS [book value of equity per share] to a range of $20 to $21, and we continue to believe PFG's capital levels remain adequate relative to potential stress scenario/cumulative investment losses. However, we are concerned that an expansion of valuation for PFG will likely require a return to sustained positive net flows in the company's flagship 401(k) business, which we expect, based on macro conditions, is likely to take some time to develop. In addition, while capital levels are strong following recent equity and debt raises, we do expect above-industry-average investment losses, given PFG's heavy weighting [in] commercial-real-estate-related asset classes. Market cap: $8.3 billion.	Love	September 26, 2009
barrons3	But these companies look to me like Hartford (HIG) at $12 or Principal Financial (PFG) at $10 or Genworth (GENW) at $4. The capital markets were open and receptive to those three annuity/insurers, and I don't even think they are as good as the banks I listed because they don't benefit from the yield curve, which is bountiful and apparently will stay bountiful for now. And yes, these can grow their way out of their holes.	Love	September 17, 2009
subba	DIFFICULT FOR INS.COMPANIES	Hate	July 07, 2009
mikefrazier	jh	Hate	July 01, 2009
bpmallikarjuna	Never saw any meaningful gain in stock value.	Hate	June 06, 2009
barrons3	Principal's shares have rallied smartly this month, but they still trade at just a conservative book-value estimate near 14. Within a year, they could reach 22.	Love	April 18, 2009
Stockpickr Staff	In the Thursday "Sell Block" segment, Cramer recited the mantra "when facts change, we change our minds," as he released life insurers Principal Financial (PFG), Prudential (PRU), Lincoln National (LNC) and Hartford Group (HIG) from solitary confinement. BankingMyWay Cramer said he doesn't want to own any of these names, but with the news that the government's TARP plan will be extended to the insurers, they're no longer toxic. Cramer said there's no doubt these companies made a lot of terrible decisions, but TARP solves many of their problems and it's time to stop hating them. (<a href="http://www.thestreet.com/story/10484639/1/cramers-mad-money-recap-the-tide-is-turning.html" target="_blank">"Mad Money Recap," 4-9-09</a>)	Love	April 13, 2009
barrons3	Lincoln National (LNC), Prudential (PRU), MetLife (MET), Hartford (HIG) and Principal Financial Group (PFG) are right back on the red-hot griddle, and as a bull on the way down, this group is the only group that can truly shake my convictions. Given the exposure these firms have to bedrock principles, payoffs in annuities and life insurance, it is vital that some branch of the Treasury come on and say, "Look, your contractual obligations will be made good, regardless of the ramifications of the companies themselves." These deals have to be like pension benefit guarantees, but the government doesn't seem to be aware of it.	Love	April 02, 2009
sarah z	From a recent Mad Money show:"This stock is moving up. But if all the negatives are still true, then we don't want to own it. I want to hear from the Goldman Sachs analyst who scared us all to death first. "	Love	December 17, 2008
barrons3	And while we are at it, you, Prudential (PRU), and you, MetLife (MET), and you, Hartford (HIG), and you, Principal (PFG), are one firm.	Love	November 20, 2008
sarah z	From a recent Mad Money show:"Here's the problem: There was a report that came out that said Principal needs to raise money. I believe that report, so I'm saying no to that stock."	Love	November 13, 2008
sarah z	From a recent Mad Money show:"I do not want Principal, I do not want Manulife Financial (MFC), or Hartford Financial Services (HIG) or MetLife (MET).	Love	November 07, 2008
barrons3	Tim Call, a portfolio manager with Capital Management in Richmond, Va., sees promise in various financial groups, including insurance. He also likes Principal Financial Group (PFG), a Des Moines-based leader in servicing small and mid-range 401K retirement plans. The company trades for only four times 2009 expected earnings. "Don't look for banks," he says, noting insurers are "in better shape and just as oversold."	Love	November 01, 2008
stockerblog	4.84%	Love	October 26, 2008
barrons3	Principal Financial cut its annual dividend in half, to 45 cents a share, for a 2.10% yield. It's priced on the NYSE at a bit above 21. Des Moines-based Principal expects to post third-quarter operating earnings per diluted share of 92 cents to 97 cents, in line with Wall Street estimates, and net of 30 cents to 40 cents, versus analysts' consensus of zero.	Love	October 18, 2008
stockerblog	PE of 14, a PEG of 0.70, and it pays a yield of 2.4%.	Love	October 06, 2008
Ehilo	Principle Financial Group. Retirement savings, investment and insurance products and services. Note the insurance if you don't like 2008 for this.	Love	February 07, 2008
High Dividends	$95,000 average annual pay	Love	January 30, 2008
parnellsf	Fell into 125 shares	Love	December 12, 2007
sarah z	The Iowa asset manager recently said that, due to general market weakness, it expects operating earnings of between $4.20 and $4.45 a share. That's at least 3 cents shy of the consensus analyst estimate, per Thomson Financial. It also announced that its board approved a buyback plan for up to $500 million of the financial services firm's outstanding common stock. The stock trades for 9x cash flow.	Love	December 05, 2007
richiej46	growth	Love	October 25, 2007
CagneyC	#77	Love	August 26, 2007
michaelwil	Was a customer when they went public got the stock for no cost, IPO went for about $20 now around $60... should I take profits???	Love	July 27, 2007
Gary Johnson77	1% mgt fee	Love	May 14, 2007
contrarion	financial services	Love	April 25, 2007
gesso	Growth - financial	Love	March 12, 2007
westchowd	been good to me over the long haul	Love	March 04, 2007
Barrons	Trading near an all-time high, Principal Financial Group's shares reflect some of that potential (expanding/building retirement business from baby boomers, etc.). But future growth should allow its price-to-earnings multiple to expand and push the stock higher. "Principal has an attractive portfolio mix that benefits from the increasing longevity of the aging population," says Sterling McMillan, a portfolio manager at Greenleaf Capital Management, which owns the stock. "We believe Principal has the continuing opportunity for steady growth of earnings and revenue that justifies its current multiple."	Love	February 17, 2007