PFG Outperforms Industry, Hits 52-Week High: How to Play the Stock

Core Insights - Principal Financial Group, Inc. (PFG) achieved a 52-week high of $90.63, closing at $90.23, with a 13.8% increase over the past year, outperforming the industry growth of 6.8% and the Finance sector's return of 11.8%, but underperforming the S&P 500's growth of 15.3% [1] Performance Comparison - PFG has outperformed peers such as CNO Financial Group, Radian Group, and Assurant, with their respective gains of 7.2%, 6.3%, and 2.5% over the past year [2] Market Position - PFG has a market capitalization of $20.1 billion, with an average trading volume of 1.2 million shares over the last three months [3] Technical Analysis - Shares are trading above the 50-day and 200-day simple moving averages of $82.82 and $80.27, indicating strong upward momentum [4] Valuation Metrics - PFG's price-to-book value stands at 1.72X, lower than the industry average of 2.58X and the Finance sector's 4.22X, suggesting a favorable entry point for investors [9] Growth Projections - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for PFG's 2025 earnings per share indicates an 18.9% year-over-year increase, with revenues projected at $15.76 billion, reflecting a 0.8% improvement [10] Analyst Sentiment - Recent analyst activity shows two out of six analysts raised estimates for 2025, and three raised estimates for 2026, leading to slight upward adjustments in the consensus estimates [12] Revenue Growth Drivers - PFG's revenue growth is expected to improve due to higher premiums, fees, and improved net investment income across its segments [13] Business Strengths - The company benefits from its leadership in retirement and long-term savings, group benefits, and global asset management, which supports solid operating earnings [16] Capital Position - PFG has a strong capital position with $1.6 billion of excess and available capital, positioning it well for long-term financial targets [19] Shareholder Returns - The company declared a fourth-quarter dividend with an 8% increase from the previous quarter, maintaining a solid dividend yield of 3.7% [20] Capital Return Strategy - PFG returned approximately $400 million to shareholders in Q3 2025 and aims to deliver a capital return target of $1.4 billion to $1.7 billion in 2025 [21] Conclusion - PFG's financial stability, favorable growth estimates, and strategic initiatives are expected to drive long-term growth [22]