Stock of the Day

November 18, 2019

Raymond James Financial (RJF)

$156.24
-$1.13 (-0.7%)
Market Cap: $30.08B

About Raymond James Financial

Raymond James Financial, Inc., a financial holding company, through its subsidiaries, engages in the underwriting, distribution, trading, and brokerage of equity and debt securities, and the sale of mutual funds and other investment products in the United States, Canada, Europe, and internationally. The company operates through Private Client Group, Capital Markets, Asset Management, RJ Bank, and Other segments. The Private Client Group segment provides securities brokerage services, including the sale of equities, mutual funds, fixed income products, and insurance products to their individual clients; and borrowing and lending of securities to and from other broker-dealers, financial institutions, and other counterparties. The Capital Markets segment offers securities brokerage, trading, and research services to institutions with a focus on sale of the United States and Canadian equities and fixed income products; and manages and participates in underwritings, merger and acquisition services, and public finance activities. The Asset Management segment engages in the operations of Eagle, the Eagle Family of Funds, Cougar, the asset management operations of Raymond James & Associates, trust services of Raymond James Trust, and other fee-based asset management programs. The RJ Bank segment provides corporate loans, SBL, tax-exempt loans, and residential loans. The Other segment engages in private equity activities, including various direct and third party private equity investments; and private equity funds. Raymond James Financial, Inc. was founded in 1962 and is based in St. Petersburg, Florida.

Raymond James Financial Bull Case

Here are some ways that investors could benefit from investing in Raymond James:

  • Raymond James recently reported strong financial performance in its most recent quarter, with revenue of $3.93 billion, which exceeded analyst estimates of $3.87 billion and represented a 15.6% increase compared to the same period last year. This growth indicates that the company is successfully expanding its business and generating more income, which is a positive sign for shareholders.
  • The company's earnings per share (EPS) of $3.14 for the latest quarter beat the consensus estimate of $2.91 by $0.23. Earnings per share is a key metric that shows how much profit a company generates for each share of its stock, and beating expectations suggests that Raymond James is more profitable than analysts predicted, which can boost investor confidence.
  • Raymond James has a relatively low price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 13.72, which is a measure of how much investors are willing to pay for each dollar of the company's earnings. A lower P/E ratio compared to industry peers can indicate that the stock is undervalued, potentially offering a good entry point for investors looking for value.
  • The stock currently trades at $157.40, which is below the average analyst price target of $178.85. This suggests that analysts believe the stock has room to grow, as the current price is lower than what they think it is worth, indicating potential upside for investors.
  • Raymond James has a solid return on equity (ROE) of 19.07%, which measures how effectively the company uses shareholders' equity to generate profits. A high ROE indicates that the company is efficient in using its capital to create value for its investors, which is a positive indicator of financial health.

Raymond James Financial Bear Case

Investors should be bearish about investing in Raymond James for these reasons:

  • Several major financial institutions have recently lowered their price targets for Raymond James, including Truist Financial, which cut its target from $188.00 to $166.00, and Morgan Stanley, which reduced its target from $174.00 to $171.00. These downward revisions suggest that analysts are becoming more cautious about the company's future growth prospects, which could weigh on the stock price.
  • The consensus rating for Raymond James is "Hold," with ten analysts assigning a Hold rating compared to five who have a Buy rating. This indicates that the majority of analysts are not strongly bullish on the stock, suggesting that there may be limited upside potential in the near term.
  • Insiders have been selling shares of Raymond James, with Bella Allaire selling 7,500 shares and Tashtego Elwyn selling 10,000 shares in recent transactions. Insider selling can be a bearish signal, as it may indicate that company executives are less confident in the stock's future performance or are looking to take profits.
  • Raymond James has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.43, which means the company has a moderate level of debt relative to its equity. While this is not excessively high, it does indicate that the company is using some leverage to finance its operations, which could increase financial risk if economic conditions deteriorate.
  • The stock has a beta of 0.94, which measures its volatility relative to the overall market. A beta close to 1 means that Raymond James tends to move in line with the market, but it also means that the stock may not provide significant diversification benefits for investors looking to reduce portfolio risk.

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