Prudential Financial Inc (PRU) is not a good buy at this time for a beginner investor with a long-term strategy. The company is facing significant headwinds, including regulatory issues in Japan, declining earnings projections, and negative sentiment from analysts. Additionally, technical indicators and options data do not suggest a strong entry point. Given the investor's background and the current challenges, holding off on this investment is advisable.
The MACD is negative and expanding, indicating bearish momentum. RSI is neutral at 29.368, and moving averages are converging, showing no clear trend. The stock is trading near its support level of 94.053, with resistance at 101.83. Overall, technical indicators suggest weakness.

NULL identified. The company emphasizes the financial soundness of its Japan unit, but this is overshadowed by ongoing challenges.
Extended sales suspension in Japan due to employee misconduct and regulatory issues.
Financial Services Agency inspection of Japan operations.
Analyst downgrades and reduced price targets.
Projected negative earnings impact of $525M-$575M in 2026 and $400M-$450M in 2027.
In Q4 2025, revenue increased by 23.62% YoY to $15.32B. However, net income dropped significantly by -1698.21% YoY to $895M, and EPS fell by -1693.75% YoY to 2.55. This indicates severe profitability challenges despite revenue growth.
Analysts have a negative outlook on PRU, with multiple downgrades and reduced price targets. The average price target has been lowered significantly, with concerns over Japan operations, regulatory issues, and declining earnings projections.