Principal Financial Group Inc.'s (NASDAQ: PFG) chief executive officer, Deanna D. Strable-Soethout, completed a sale of company stock on January 30, 2026, disposing of 7,340 shares at $95.00 per share. The total proceeds reported for the transaction were $697,300.
The transaction was carried out under an established Rule 10b5-1 trading plan that the CEO adopted on February 28, 2024. After the sale, Strable-Soethout's direct holdings in Principal Financial Group stand at 136,828 shares. In addition to her direct ownership, she is reported to indirectly own 54,227 shares through a spouse.
This insider sale arrives alongside a recent analyst reassessment. JPMorgan adjusted its coverage of Principal Financial Group, lowering its rating from Overweight to Neutral and assigning a new price target of $103.00. The bank attributed the change to a view that alternative life insurance stocks offer superior relative value, rather than signaling a negative revision to Principal Financial Group's business prospects.
JPMorgan's move is noted as one of the latest developments affecting the company's market narrative. The firm’s change in recommendation indicates a more cautious posture toward the stock’s near-term upside potential, while not representing a material alteration to the company's underlying fundamentals, according to the language provided with the rating change.
Investors may consider both the insider transaction and the analyst rating change when forming investment decisions. The sale was executed under a pre-existing trading plan, and the analyst action emphasizes relative valuation within the life insurance sector rather than a direct critique of Principal Financial Group’s operational outlook.
Contextual notes:
- The CEO sale totaled $697,300 based on 7,340 shares at $95.00 each.
- The Rule 10b5-1 plan was adopted on February 28, 2024.
- Post-transaction, direct ownership is 136,828 shares; indirect ownership via spouse is 54,227 shares.
- JPMorgan downgraded its rating to Neutral from Overweight and set a $103.00 price target, citing better value in other life insurers rather than a change in Principal Financial Group's outlook.