Dun & Bradstreet (NYSE:DNB) Shares Gap Down on Disappointing Earnings

Dun & Bradstreet Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:DNB) gapped down before the market opened on Thursday after the company announced weaker than expected quarterly earnings. The stock had previously closed at $10.53, but opened at $9.89. Dun & Bradstreet shares last traded at $9.11, with a volume of 1,640,654 shares.

The business services provider reported $0.27 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.32 by ($0.05). Dun & Bradstreet had a positive return on equity of 11.50% and a negative net margin of 1.46%.

Dun & Bradstreet Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 20th. Investors of record on Thursday, March 6th will be issued a dividend of $0.05 per share. This represents a $0.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.12%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, March 6th. Dun & Bradstreet’s payout ratio is -250.00%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have issued reports on DNB shares. Needham & Company LLC reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $17.00 target price on shares of Dun & Bradstreet in a research report on Friday, November 1st. Royal Bank of Canada reiterated a “sector perform” rating and issued a $12.00 target price on shares of Dun & Bradstreet in a research note on Wednesday, January 29th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $13.13.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA increased its holdings in shares of Dun & Bradstreet by 2.3% during the fourth quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 57,773,925 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $719,863,000 after acquiring an additional 1,275,959 shares in the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP increased its stake in Dun & Bradstreet by 8.3% during the 4th quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 17,622,318 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $219,566,000 after purchasing an additional 1,350,263 shares in the last quarter. FMR LLC raised its holdings in shares of Dun & Bradstreet by 9.7% in the fourth quarter. FMR LLC now owns 12,575,015 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $156,685,000 after buying an additional 1,109,940 shares during the last quarter. Azora Capital LP lifted its stake in shares of Dun & Bradstreet by 15.6% during the fourth quarter. Azora Capital LP now owns 9,213,826 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $114,804,000 after buying an additional 1,240,472 shares during the period. Finally, Crescent Grove Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of Dun & Bradstreet by 2.2% during the third quarter. Crescent Grove Advisors LLC now owns 6,176,103 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $71,087,000 after buying an additional 130,888 shares during the last quarter. 86.68% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Dun & Bradstreet Stock Performance

The firm has a 50-day moving average of $11.74 and a 200-day moving average of $11.79. The company has a current ratio of 0.70, a quick ratio of 0.70 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.08. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.16 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -116.83, a P/E/G ratio of 2.49 and a beta of 1.14.

Dun & Bradstreet Company Profile

Dun & Bradstreet Holdings, Inc engages in providing business decisioning data and analytics solutions. The firm is involved in providing information with its solutions to support its clients with critical business operations. It offers end-to-end solutions to clients in the small business, finance, sales & marketing, third party risk & compliance, and public sectors.