Simmons First National (NASDAQ:SFNC) Downgraded by StockNews.com

Simmons First National (NASDAQ:SFNC) was downgraded by StockNews.com from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note issued on Thursday.

A number of other equities analysts also recently issued reports on the company. Stephens cut their target price on Simmons First National from $22.00 to $21.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, April 25th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods cut their target price on Simmons First National from $21.00 to $20.00 and set a “market perform” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, April 25th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and three have issued a hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $21.00.

Simmons First National Stock Performance

Simmons First National stock traded up $0.24 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $17.08. 356,584 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 477,395. Simmons First National has a twelve month low of $13.36 and a twelve month high of $20.82. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $17.41 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $18.42. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36, a quick ratio of 0.77 and a current ratio of 0.77. The firm has a market cap of $2.14 billion, a PE ratio of 12.84 and a beta of 0.88.

Simmons First National (NASDAQ:SFNC) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 24th. The bank reported $0.32 earnings per share for the quarter, hitting analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.32. Simmons First National had a return on equity of 5.94% and a net margin of 11.97%. The company had revenue of $195.10 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $202.35 million. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.37 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down 12.8% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts predict that Simmons First National will post 1.31 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Simmons First National

In related news, EVP George A. Makris III sold 15,625 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, April 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $17.23, for a total value of $269,218.75. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 39,707 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $684,151.61. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. 1.91% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Simmons First National

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of SFNC. GAMMA Investing LLC acquired a new stake in Simmons First National during the 4th quarter valued at $29,000. TFO Wealth Partners LLC grew its holdings in Simmons First National by 250,150.0% during the 4th quarter. TFO Wealth Partners LLC now owns 10,010 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $199,000 after buying an additional 10,006 shares during the last quarter. Hennion & Walsh Asset Management Inc. acquired a new stake in Simmons First National during the 1st quarter valued at $227,000. Summit Financial Wealth Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Simmons First National by 15.9% during the 4th quarter. Summit Financial Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 11,590 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $230,000 after buying an additional 1,590 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Everence Capital Management Inc. acquired a new stake in Simmons First National during the 1st quarter valued at $252,000. 27.58% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Simmons First National

Simmons First National Corporation operates as the holding company for Simmons Bank that provides banking and other financial products and services to individuals and businesses. The company offers checking, savings, and time deposits; consumer, real estate, and commercial loans; agricultural finance, equipment, and small business administration lending; trust and fiduciary services; credit cards; investment management products; treasury management; insurance products; and securities and investment services.