Republic Bancorp (NASDAQ:RBCAA) Sees Unusually-High Trading Volume – Still a Buy?

Shares of Republic Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ:RBCAA) saw unusually-high trading volume on Tuesday . Approximately 51,134 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 20% from the previous session’s volume of 42,451 shares.The stock last traded at $69.10 and had previously closed at $69.37.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

RBCAA has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Republic Bancorp in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. Wall Street Zen lowered Republic Bancorp from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Saturday, March 14th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $69.00.

Republic Bancorp Stock Performance

The company has a current ratio of 1.08, a quick ratio of 1.05 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.46. The stock has a market cap of $1.33 billion, a PE ratio of 10.07 and a beta of 0.59. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $71.10 and its 200-day moving average price is $70.81.

Republic Bancorp (NASDAQ:RBCAA) last posted its earnings results on Friday, January 30th. The bank reported $1.17 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.30 by ($0.13). The firm had revenue of $94.27 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $92.50 million. Republic Bancorp had a net margin of 25.19% and a return on equity of 12.27%.

Republic Bancorp Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 17th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 20th will be issued a dividend of $0.495 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 20th. This represents a $1.98 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.9%. This is a boost from Republic Bancorp’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.45. Republic Bancorp’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 26.79%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV raised its stake in Republic Bancorp by 93.8% in the fourth quarter. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV now owns 42,930 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $2,964,000 after buying an additional 20,781 shares during the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC grew its stake in shares of Republic Bancorp by 9.2% during the fourth quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 73,735 shares of the bank’s stock worth $5,087,000 after acquiring an additional 6,189 shares during the last quarter. Garton & Associates Financial Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Republic Bancorp during the fourth quarter valued at about $1,102,000. Inspire Investing LLC increased its holdings in shares of Republic Bancorp by 8.1% during the fourth quarter. Inspire Investing LLC now owns 6,952 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $480,000 after acquiring an additional 522 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Bridgeway Capital Management LLC raised its position in shares of Republic Bancorp by 5.3% in the 4th quarter. Bridgeway Capital Management LLC now owns 123,097 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $8,492,000 after purchasing an additional 6,189 shares during the last quarter. 24.37% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Republic Bancorp Company Profile

Republic Bancorp, Inc is a bank holding company headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, that operates through its principal subsidiary, Republic Bank & Trust Company. The company provides a full suite of commercial and retail banking services tailored to individuals, small businesses and middle‐market clients. Core offerings include deposit accounts, consumer and commercial lending, treasury and cash-management services, mortgage financing, SBA lending and wealth management solutions. Republic Bancorp also supports specialized financing needs through equipment leasing and small business advisory services.

Republic Bancorp’s branch network spans key markets in the U.S.