SEI Investments (SEIC) Rolls Out Share-Buyback Plan Worth $250M

SEI Investments (NASDAQ:SEIC) continues to reward its shareholders through dividend hikes or additional share repurchases. The company recently announced its latest share-buyback plan, with authorization to repurchase common shares worth $250 million.

Notably, the latest authorization increases the existing program to about $272 million. Since the beginning of 2020, the company has bought back about 1.677 million shares for $96 million.

SEI Investments has also been paying quarterly dividends, along with regular hikes. Since 2011, the company has raised its dividend nine times. Its semi-annual dividend was last hiked in December 2019 by 6.1% to 35 cents per share.

"Today, the world is coping with a pandemic, posing challenges for companies and our way of life. Protecting the health and well-being of our employees, their families, and clients is our priority," said Alfred P. West, Jr., SEI chairman and CEO. "We believe we are well-prepared to manage through this period of disruption and uncertainty. While the SEI team is currently in a work-from-home environment for all but essential operations personnel, our operational integrity remains strong globally. Our innovative workforce, strong cash flow and resilient operations will help us navigate these turbulent times and continue to deliver for our clients," noted the CEO.

SEI Investments has depreciated 28.1% in the last six months compared with the industry’s decline of 24.6%. Currently, the stock carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

With strong liquidity and balance-sheet position, we believe SEI Investments will continue to reward its shareholders, in the days to come. Let’s dig deeper into its financials and fundamental strengths, and see if the company is worth considering.

Earnings per Share (EPS) Growth: The company’s earnings improved at a rate of 13.9% over the last three to five years, higher than the industry’s growth rate of 5.6%. Moreover, its earnings are projected to be up 8.3% in 2020 and 11% in 2021.

Further, the company’s long-term (three-five years) projected EPS growth rate of 12% promises reward for investors.

Revenue Strength: Aided by continued growth in assets, SEI Investments’ revenues witnessed a CAGR of 5.4% over the last six years (2014-2019). Notably, its total AUM witnessed a CAGR of 7.5% over the last four years (2016-2019).

Supported by the company’s diversified product mix, solid global presence and strong assets balance, its revenues are expected to rise further. In fact, its projected sales growth rate of 4.4% for 2020 and 5.4% for 2021 ensure continuation of the upward trend in revenues.

Strong Leverage: SEI Investments currently has a debt/equity ratio of 0.02, lower than the industry’s debt/equity ratio of 0.20. This suggests that the company will likely perform better than its peers in a dynamic business environment.

Superior Return on Equity (ROE): SEI Investments’ ROE supports its growth potential. Its current ROE of 29.88% compares favorably with the industry’s average of 13.31%. This highlights its efficiency in using shareholder funds.

Similar Moves

During the current quarter, among other finance stocks, Popular, Inc. (NASDAQ:BPOP) , Stifel Financial Corp. (NYSE:SF) and Jefferies Financial Group Inc. (NYSE:JEF) have also announced share-repurchase authorizations.

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