Shares of Waddell & Reed Financial (NYSE:WDR) traded at a new 52-week high today of $41.79. Approximately 134,000 shares have changed hands today, as compared to an average 30-day volume of 779,000 shares.

Waddell & Reed Financial (NYSE:WDR) is currently priced 6.4% above its average consensus analyst price target of $39.09. The stock should discover initial support at its 50-day moving average (MA) of $36.57 and subsequent support at its 200-day MA of $32.11.

In the past 52 weeks, Waddell & Reed Financial share prices have been bracketed by a low of $26.55 and a high of $41.79 and are now at $41.77, 57% above that low price. Over the past week, the 200-day moving average (MA) has gone up 0.5% while the 50-day MA has advanced 1.5%.

Waddell & Reed Financial, Inc., through its subsidiaries, serves as investment advisor and exclusive underwriter and distributor for a family of mutual funds. The Company's funds include the Waddell & Reed Advisors Funds, W&R Funds, Inc., Ivy Funds, and the W&R Target Funds, Inc.

SmarTrend recommended that subscribers consider buying shares of Waddell & Reed Financial on October 18th, 2012 as our proprietary SmarTrend analytics indicated a new Uptrend was in progress when shares hit $33.10. Since that recommendation, shares of Waddell & Reed Financial have risen 25.1%. We continue to monitor WDR for any potential shift so investors can protect gains and will alert SmarTrend subscribers immediately.