Ally Financial Inc. (NYSE:ALLY) Given Consensus Rating of “Moderate Buy” by Analysts

Ally Financial Inc. (NYSE:ALLY) has been assigned an average rating of “Moderate Buy” from the seventeen brokerages that are currently covering the firm, Marketbeat.com reports. Five analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twelve have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average 12 month price objective among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $46.4667.

Several brokerages have weighed in on ALLY. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods dropped their price target on shares of Ally Financial from $56.00 to $51.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, October 1st. Evercore ISI dropped their target price on shares of Ally Financial from $45.00 to $44.00 and set an “in-line” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, September 30th. Morgan Stanley set a $53.00 target price on Ally Financial and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, December 16th. TD Cowen raised Ally Financial from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and upped their price target for the company from $43.00 to $50.00 in a research report on Monday, October 20th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company upgraded Ally Financial from a “hold” rating to an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 17th.

Ally Financial Price Performance

ALLY opened at $46.28 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.31, a current ratio of 0.92 and a quick ratio of 0.92. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $41.30 and its 200 day simple moving average is $40.13. The firm has a market cap of $14.26 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.88, a PEG ratio of 0.32 and a beta of 1.22. Ally Financial has a 1 year low of $29.52 and a 1 year high of $46.78.

Ally Financial (NYSE:ALLY) last released its quarterly earnings data on Monday, July 28th. The financial services provider reported $0.99 earnings per share for the quarter. Ally Financial had a return on equity of 9.96% and a net margin of 8.10%.The firm had revenue of $2.06 billion during the quarter. As a group, analysts predict that Ally Financial will post 3.57 earnings per share for the current year.

Ally Financial Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, November 14th. Investors of record on Friday, October 31st were issued a $0.30 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, October 31st. This represents a $1.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.6%. Ally Financial’s payout ratio is 72.29%.

Ally Financial declared that its Board of Directors has initiated a share buyback plan on Wednesday, December 10th that authorizes the company to buyback $2.00 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the financial services provider to purchase up to 15.3% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback plans are generally an indication that the company’s management believes its shares are undervalued.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, insider Kathleen L. Patterson sold 29,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, October 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $40.86, for a total value of $1,184,940.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 100,203 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,094,294.58. This trade represents a 22.45% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.67% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Ally Financial

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Raymond James Financial Inc. boosted its position in Ally Financial by 144.3% during the 1st quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. now owns 158,549 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $5,782,000 after acquiring an additional 93,660 shares in the last quarter. Compound Planning Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Ally Financial in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $205,000. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. lifted its stake in shares of Ally Financial by 24.4% in the 1st quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 74,324 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $2,711,000 after purchasing an additional 14,593 shares during the period. SVB Wealth LLC bought a new stake in shares of Ally Financial during the first quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Finally, MetLife Investment Management LLC grew its stake in Ally Financial by 70.4% in the first quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC now owns 266,284 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $9,711,000 after purchasing an additional 110,042 shares during the period. 88.76% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.