Simmons First National (NASDAQ:SFNC) Sets New 12-Month High at $21.05

Simmons First National Co. (NASDAQ:SFNC) shares hit a new 52-week high on Wednesday . The company traded as high as $21.05 and last traded at $20.98, with a volume of 114954 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $20.51.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

SFNC has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Stephens reduced 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. StockNews.com upgraded Simmons First National from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods decreased their target price on Simmons First National from $21.00 to $20.00 and set a “market perform” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, April 25th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $21.00.

Simmons First National Stock Performance

The company has a quick ratio of 0.77, a current ratio of 0.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $17.45 and a two-hundred day moving average of $18.28. The company has a market capitalization of $2.66 billion, a PE ratio of 15.42 and a beta of 0.89.

Simmons First National (NASDAQ:SFNC) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, April 24th. The bank reported $0.32 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $0.32. The firm had revenue of $195.10 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $202.35 million. Simmons First National had a net margin of 11.97% and a return on equity of 5.94%. The business’s revenue was down 12.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $0.37 EPS. Research analysts anticipate that Simmons First National Co. will post 1.29 EPS for the current year.

Simmons First National Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, July 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, June 14th were given a dividend of $0.21 per share. This represents a $0.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.97%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, June 14th. Simmons First National’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 63.16%.

Insider Activity at Simmons First National

In other Simmons First National 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 sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 39,707 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $684,151.61. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 1.91% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. American Century Companies Inc. increased its stake in shares of Simmons First National by 8.1% during the third quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 358,314 shares of the bank’s stock worth $6,077,000 after purchasing an additional 26,724 shares in the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. increased its stake in Simmons First National by 29.5% during the 4th quarter. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. now owns 17,235 shares of the bank’s stock worth $342,000 after buying an additional 3,927 shares in the last quarter. Summit Financial Wealth Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of Simmons First National by 15.9% during the fourth quarter. Summit Financial Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 11,590 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $230,000 after acquiring an additional 1,590 shares during the last quarter. AlphaMark Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Simmons First National in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $287,000. Finally, International Assets Investment Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Simmons First National by 978.8% in the fourth quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 13,323 shares of the bank’s stock worth $264,000 after acquiring an additional 12,088 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 27.58% of the company’s stock.

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.