Smartleaf Asset Management LLC Sells 1,410 Shares of Voya Financial, Inc. (NYSE:VOYA)

Smartleaf Asset Management LLC lowered its position in shares of Voya Financial, Inc. (NYSE:VOYA) by 72.2% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 543 shares of the asset manager’s stock after selling 1,410 shares during the period. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC’s holdings in Voya Financial were worth $37,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. US Bancorp DE lifted its stake in Voya Financial by 5.8% during the 3rd quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 3,655 shares of the asset manager’s stock valued at $290,000 after acquiring an additional 202 shares during the period. Aigen Investment Management LP raised its holdings in shares of Voya Financial by 14.0% during the third quarter. Aigen Investment Management LP now owns 6,533 shares of the asset manager’s stock valued at $518,000 after purchasing an additional 800 shares during the last quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. lifted its position in Voya Financial by 12.2% during the third quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 316,447 shares of the asset manager’s stock valued at $25,069,000 after purchasing an additional 34,413 shares during the period. Quest Partners LLC purchased a new stake in Voya Financial in the third quarter worth approximately $322,000. Finally, Meeder Asset Management Inc. bought a new stake in Voya Financial in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $597,000. 96.10% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Voya Financial Price Performance

NYSE VOYA opened at $67.52 on Wednesday. The company has a current ratio of 0.30, a quick ratio of 0.31 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.59. Voya Financial, Inc. has a 12 month low of $64.10 and a 12 month high of $84.30. The stock has a market cap of $6.45 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.03, a PEG ratio of 0.48 and a beta of 1.03. The company’s 50 day moving average is $70.64 and its two-hundred day moving average is $74.68.

Voya Financial (NYSE:VOYA) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 4th. The asset manager reported $1.50 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.15 by ($0.65). Voya Financial had a net margin of 8.29% and a return on equity of 14.10%. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Voya Financial, Inc. will post 8.39 earnings per share for the current year.

Voya Financial Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 27th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, February 25th will be given a $0.45 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, February 25th. This represents a $1.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.67%. Voya Financial’s payout ratio is 29.41%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have recently issued reports on VOYA. Royal Bank of Canada dropped their price target on Voya Financial from $90.00 to $85.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, February 3rd. Bank of America reissued a “neutral” rating and issued a $83.00 target price (down from $91.00) on shares of Voya Financial in a research report on Wednesday, December 11th. Barclays lowered shares of Voya Financial from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 6th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price objective on shares of Voya Financial from $87.00 to $82.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, January 7th. Finally, Morgan Stanley upgraded shares of Voya Financial from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and boosted their target price for the company from $76.00 to $87.00 in a research report on Friday, February 28th. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Voya Financial has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $83.55.

About Voya Financial

Voya Financial, Inc engages in the provision of workplace benefits and savings products in the United States and internationally. The company operates through three segments: Wealth Solutions, Health Solutions, and Investment Management. The Wealth Solutions segment offers full-service retirement products; recordkeeping services; stable value and fixed general account investment products; non-qualified plan administration services; and tools, guidance, and services to promote the financial well-being and retirement security of employees.