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

StockNews.com downgraded shares of Simmons First National (NASDAQ:SFNC) from a hold rating to a sell rating in a research note issued to investors on Monday morning.

A number of other equities analysts have also commented on the company. Piper Sandler boosted their price objective on Simmons First National from $18.00 to $20.00 and gave the stock an underweight rating in a research note on Friday, July 26th. Stephens boosted their target price on shares of Simmons First National from $21.00 to $23.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a research note on Thursday, July 25th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods boosted their price objective on shares of Simmons First National from $20.00 to $22.00 and gave the stock a market perform rating in a research report on Thursday, July 25th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and three have assigned a hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Simmons First National has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $21.75.

Simmons First National Price Performance

Shares of SFNC stock opened at $20.88 on Monday. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $19.77 and a two-hundred day moving average of $18.68. The company has a current ratio of 0.80, a quick ratio of 0.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50. The company has a market capitalization of $2.62 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.70 and a beta of 0.87. Simmons First National has a 12 month low of $13.36 and a 12 month high of $22.29.

Simmons First National (NASDAQ:SFNC) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, July 24th. The bank reported $0.33 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.31 by $0.02. Simmons First National had a return on equity of 5.33% and a net margin of 10.49%. The business had revenue of $372.44 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $197.30 million. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $0.48 EPS. As a group, equities analysts expect that Simmons First National will post 1.32 EPS for the current year.

Simmons First National Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, October 1st. Investors of record on Friday, September 13th will be paid a dividend of $0.21 per share. This represents a $0.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.02%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, September 13th. Simmons First National’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 63.16%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Simmons First National

In other Simmons First National news, CAO David W. Garner sold 3,600 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, August 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $21.21, for a total transaction of $76,356.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer now owns 64,966 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,377,928.86. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. In other Simmons First National news, CAO David W. Garner sold 3,600 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $21.21, for a total transaction of $76,356.00. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer now owns 64,966 shares in the company, valued at $1,377,928.86. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, CEO Robert A. Fehlman sold 8,680 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, July 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $21.93, for a total value of $190,352.40. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 156,357 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,428,909.01. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 33,700 shares of company stock valued at $728,952. 1.91% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Simmons First National

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. GAMMA Investing LLC acquired a new stake in Simmons First National during the 4th quarter worth $29,000. Versant Capital Management Inc raised its position in shares of Simmons First National by 161.0% during the second quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 1,843 shares of the bank’s stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 1,137 shares during the period. Farmers & Merchants Investments Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Simmons First National by 2,045.5% during the 2nd quarter. Farmers & Merchants Investments Inc. now owns 1,888 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 1,800 shares in the last quarter. Profund Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Simmons First National in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $183,000. Finally, TFO Wealth Partners LLC increased its stake 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 worth $199,000 after purchasing an additional 10,006 shares in the last quarter. 27.58% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.