Stifel Financial (NYSE:SF) Stock Rating Upgraded by StockNews.com

Stifel Financial (NYSE:SF) was upgraded by stock analysts at StockNews.com from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note issued to investors on Tuesday.

A number of other equities analysts have also weighed in on the stock. UBS Group boosted their price objective on shares of Stifel Financial from $116.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, February 3rd. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on Stifel Financial from $128.00 to $135.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, January 30th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. started coverage on Stifel Financial in a report on Tuesday, December 10th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $120.00 price objective on the stock. JMP Securities upped their target price on Stifel Financial from $125.00 to $135.00 and gave the company a “market outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 30th. Finally, Citigroup raised their price target on Stifel Financial from $110.00 to $115.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, January 10th. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $117.71.

Stifel Financial Price Performance

Shares of SF traded down $1.70 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, reaching $103.85. 702,894 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 740,525. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $109.61 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $103.12. The company has a market cap of $10.63 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.64 and a beta of 1.11. The company has a quick ratio of 0.78, a current ratio of 0.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27. Stifel Financial has a 52-week low of $72.78 and a 52-week high of $120.64.

Stifel Financial (NYSE:SF) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 29th. The financial services provider reported $2.23 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.96 by $0.27. Stifel Financial had a return on equity of 16.59% and a net margin of 14.00%. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Stifel Financial will post 8.26 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Stifel Financial

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of SF. V Square Quantitative Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Stifel Financial in the 4th quarter valued at $26,000. Bessemer Group Inc. raised its position in Stifel Financial by 52.1% in the fourth quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 321 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $34,000 after purchasing an additional 110 shares during the period. Versant Capital Management Inc lifted its stake in shares of Stifel Financial by 46.5% during the fourth quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 457 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $48,000 after purchasing an additional 145 shares in the last quarter. Quarry LP acquired a new stake in shares of Stifel Financial in the fourth quarter valued at about $49,000. Finally, Smartleaf Asset Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Stifel Financial by 26.6% during the 4th quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 528 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $56,000 after buying an additional 111 shares during the period. 82.01% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Stifel Financial Company Profile

Stifel Financial Corp., a financial services and bank holding company, provides retail and institutional wealth management, and investment banking services to individual investors, corporations, municipalities, and institutions in the United States and internationally. It operates in three segments: Global Wealth Management, Institutional Group, and Other.