Prudential Financial Inc Stock Buy Recommendation Reiterated (PRU)

Editor's Note: TheStreet ratings do not represent the views of TheStreet's staff or its contributors. Ratings are established by computer based on metrics for performance (which includes growth, stock performance, efficiency and valuation) and risk (volatility and solvency). Companies with poor cash flow or high debt levels tend to earn lower ratings in our model.

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Prudential Financial (NYSE:PRU) has been reiterated by TheStreet Ratings as a buy with a ratings score of B- . Among the primary strengths of the company is its robust revenue growth -- not just in the most recent periods but in previous quarters as well. We feel these strengths outweigh the fact that the company has had sub par growth in net income.

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Highlights from the ratings report include:

• PRU's very impressive revenue growth greatly exceeded the industry average of 21.6%. Since the same quarter one year prior, revenues leaped by 292.1%. This growth in revenue does not appear to have trickled down to the company's bottom line, displayed by a decline in earnings per share.
• PRUDENTIAL FINANCIAL INC has exprienced a steep decline in earnings per share in the most recent quarter in comparison to its performance from the same quarter a year ago. The company has suffered a declining pattern of earnings per share over the past two years. However, we anticipate this trend to reverse over the coming year. During the past fiscal year, PRUDENTIAL FINANCIAL INC reported lower earnings of $0.63 versus $7.05 in the prior year. This year, the market expects an improvement in earnings ($7.81 versus $0.63).
• In its most recent trading session, PRU has closed at a price level that was not very different from its closing price of one year earlier. This is probably due to its weak earnings growth as well as other mixed factors. Looking ahead, although the push and pull of the overall market trend could certainly make a critical difference, we do not see any strong reason stemming from the company's fundamentals that would cause a continuation of last year's decline. In fact, the stock is now selling for less than others in its industry in relation to its current earnings.
• The company, on the basis of change in net income from the same quarter one year ago, has significantly underperformed when compared to that of the S&P 500 and the Insurance industry. The net income has significantly decreased by 133.8% when compared to the same quarter one year ago, falling from $686.00 million to -$232.00 million.

Prudential Financial, Inc., through its subsidiaries, provides various financial products and services, including life insurance, annuities, retirement-related services, mutual funds, and investment management services in the United States, Asia, Europe, and Latin America. Prudential Financial has a market cap of $26.46 billion and is part of the financial sector and insurance industry. The company has a P/E ratio of 9.1, below the S&P 500 P/E ratio of 17.7. Shares are up 7.4% year to date as of the close of trading on Tuesday.

You can view the full Prudential Financial Ratings Report or get investment ideas from our investment research center.

--Written by a member of TheStreet Ratings Staff.

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