H&R Block HRB Receives Buy Rating Upgrade from StockNews.com

H&R Block, Inc. HRB, a leading provider of tax preparation services, has received a favorable nod from equity researchers as its stock rating was elevated. On a recent Sunday, StockNews.com upgraded HRB from a 'hold' to a 'buy' status, signaling increased confidence in the company's stock performance amongst analysts.

Analyst Ratings and Price Targets

Other equity research analysts have also recently reviewed HRB's stock. Goldman Sachs Group notably raised their price target for HRB from $28.00 to $32.00, despite maintaining a 'sell' rating. Conversely, Barrington Research lifted their price target from $44.00 to $48.00, endorsing HRB with an 'outperform' rating.

Recent Market Performance

HRB opened at $44.97 on the preceding Friday, exhibiting a steady pace in the market. The company's shares have seen a low of $28.83 and a high of $45.09 over the past 52 weeks. Currently, HRB boasts a market capitalization of $6.47 billion, a price-to-earnings (PE) ratio of 12.81, and a price-to-earnings-growth (PEG) ratio of 0.83 indicating potential for further growth. The beta sits at 0.63. Financial ratios like a quick ratio of 1.26, a current ratio of 0.80, and a debt-to-equity ratio of 46.44 have been reported, with the firm maintaining a 50-day simple moving average of $41.73 and a 200-day simple moving average of $36.29.

Quarterly Earnings Perspective

For the fiscal quarter ending on Tuesday, November 7th, HRB announced its earnings results, reporting ($1.05) earnings per share (EPS), surpassing the consensus estimate of ($1.13) by $0.08. HRB experienced a net margin of 16.07% and a negative return on equity of 244.61%. The company also reported revenue of $183.80 million for the quarter, slightly exceeding the anticipated $182.06 million. Comparatively, during the same quarter in the previous year, the company had posted an earnings per share of ($0.99). HRB's revenue over the quarter increased by 2.1% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts predict that HRB will post an earnings per share of $4.17 for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Investment Patterns

There has been a significant amount of activity from institutional investors and hedge funds with positions in HRB. First Republic Investment Management Inc. increased its holdings by 5.0%, CreativeOne Wealth LLC by 3.9%, and M&T Bank Corp by 1.0% during recent quarters. Investors such as Thrivent Financial for Lutherans and Allworth Financial LP also adjusted their stakes, with the stock currently being 90.89% institutionally owned.

About HRB

H&R Block, Inc. HRB is headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, and specializes in both assisted and DIY tax return preparation services and products for the public primarily in the United States, Canada, and Australia. With its strong market presence and well-established financial base, HRB remains a significant player in the tax preparation sector.

H&R, Block, Upgrade