Fidelity National Financial, Inc. $FNF Shares Sold by Hennessy Advisors Inc.

Hennessy Advisors Inc. reduced its position in shares of Fidelity National Financial, Inc. (NYSE:FNF) by 7.4% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 123,500 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after selling 9,800 shares during the period. Hennessy Advisors Inc.’s holdings in Fidelity National Financial were worth $7,471,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Merit Financial Group LLC boosted its holdings in Fidelity National Financial by 194.5% during the 3rd quarter. Merit Financial Group LLC now owns 16,461 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $996,000 after acquiring an additional 10,871 shares during the period. Moody Lynn & Lieberson LLC purchased a new position in shares of Fidelity National Financial in the third quarter valued at approximately $230,000. Sivia Capital Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of Fidelity National Financial in the third quarter valued at approximately $331,000. waypoint wealth counsel purchased a new stake in Fidelity National Financial during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $284,000. Finally, HM Payson & Co. increased its stake in Fidelity National Financial by 2,060.9% during the 3rd quarter. HM Payson & Co. now owns 994 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $60,000 after buying an additional 948 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 81.17% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Daniel D. Lane sold 6,367 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, November 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $57.63, for a total value of $366,930.21. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 276,308 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $15,923,630.04. The trade was a 2.25% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. 5.50% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Fidelity National Financial Price Performance

Shares of NYSE FNF opened at $54.63 on Friday. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $56.90 and its 200-day simple moving average is $57.33. The firm has a market capitalization of $15.36 billion, a PE ratio of 13.17 and a beta of 1.00. Fidelity National Financial, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $50.61 and a fifty-two week high of $66.72. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.47, a quick ratio of 0.25 and a current ratio of 0.25.

Fidelity National Financial (NYSE:FNF) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 13th. The financial services provider reported $0.76 EPS for the quarter. Fidelity National Financial had a net margin of 8.34% and a return on equity of 15.06%. The company had revenue of $3.17 billion for the quarter. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Fidelity National Financial, Inc. will post 6.28 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Fidelity National Financial Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, December 31st. Investors of record on Wednesday, December 17th were given a $0.52 dividend. This is a positive change from Fidelity National Financial’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.50. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, December 17th. This represents a $2.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.8%. Fidelity National Financial’s payout ratio is 50.12%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts have commented on the stock. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Fidelity National Financial from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, December 20th. Barclays reiterated a “cautious” rating on shares of Fidelity National Financial in a report on Monday, October 6th. Stephens started coverage on Fidelity National Financial in a report on Friday, November 14th. They set an “overweight” rating on the stock. National Bankshares set a $72.00 price target on Fidelity National Financial in a research report on Thursday, December 18th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Fidelity National Financial in a research note on Monday. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $72.00.

About Fidelity National Financial

Fidelity National Financial (NYSE: FNF) is a leading provider of title insurance and transaction services to the real estate and mortgage industries. The company underwrites title insurance policies that protect property owners and lenders against title defects, liens, and other encumbrances. Alongside its core title insurance operations, FNF offers escrow and closing services, e-recording solutions, and real estate data and analytics through a network of agents and underwriters.

FNF operates through two primary segments: Title Insurance and Specialty Insurance and Services.