Are Wall Street Analysts Bullish on Prudential Financial Stock?

Prudential Financial, Inc. (PRU), headquartered in Newark, New Jersey, provides insurance, investment management, and other financial products and services. Valued at $41.6 billion by market cap, the company offers a variety of products and services, including life insurance, mutual funds, annuities, pension, and retirement related services, as well as administration and asset management. 

Shares of this leading diversified insurance and asset management company have underperformed the broader market over the past year. PRU has gained 12.6% over this time frame, while the broader S&P 500 Index ($SPX) has rallied nearly 19.5%. In 2026, PRU’s stock rose 6.8%, compared to the SPX’s 11.6% rise on a YTD basis. 

Narrowing the focus, PRU has outpaced the iShares U.S. Insurance ETF (IAK). The exchange-traded fund has gained about 7.8% over the past year. Moreover, the stock’s returns on a YTD basis outshine the ETF’s 5.9% gains over the same time frame.

PRU has delivered a mixed performance over the past year, balancing strong profitability against persistent top-line pressures and operational headwinds. While the company achieved solid non-GAAP earnings and margin expansion, driven by higher spread income, record U.S. group insurance profits, and scaling in PGIM's capital-light asset management, overall performance was dampened by muted pension risk transfer sales and ongoing earnings drag from a voluntary sales suspension in Japan. To navigate these challenges, management has launched a multi-year transformation plan aimed at generating $750 million in cost savings by 2028 and unlocking over $3 billion in capital by exiting roughly half of its international markets to focus on high-scale operations in the U.S., Japan, and select European regions.

On Aug. 4, PRU reported its Q2 results, and its shares closed down by 2.7% in the following trading session. Its adjusted EPS of $4.08 beat Wall Street expectations of $3.47. The company’s revenue was $14.16 billion, surpassing Wall Street forecasts of $14.15 billion.

For the current fiscal year, ending in December, analysts expect SJM’s EPS to fall 1.3% to $14.24 on a diluted basis. The company’s earnings surprise history is mixed. It beat the consensus estimate in three of the last four quarters while missing the forecast on another occasion. 

Among the 19 analysts covering PRU stock, the consensus is a “Hold.” That’s based on 15 “Hold” ratings, one “Moderate Sell,” and three “Strong Sells.” 

This configuration is less bearish than three months ago, with one analyst suggesting a “Strong Buy,” and four recommending a “Strong Sell.”

On Aug. 19, Wells Fargo & Company (WFC) analyst Wes Carmichael kept an “Underweight” rating on PRU and raised the price target to $110.

While PRU currently trades above its mean price target of $111.60, the Street-high price target of $131 suggests an upside potential of 8.6%.