Regional Management (NYSE:RM) Cut to “Buy” at Wall Street Zen

Wall Street Zen cut shares of Regional Management (NYSE:RM) from a strong-buy rating to a buy rating in a research report released on Saturday.

Other equities analysts have also recently issued research reports about the company. Zacks Research upgraded Regional Management from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, January 5th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Regional Management in a report on Monday, December 29th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating, According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $30.00.

Regional Management Stock Performance

Shares of RM stock opened at $34.65 on Friday. Regional Management has a 52 week low of $25.41 and a 52 week high of $46.00. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $38.20 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $38.79. The company has a market capitalization of $336.42 million, a P/E ratio of 7.79 and a beta of 1.07.

Regional Management (NYSE:RM) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 4th. The credit services provider reported $1.30 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.23 by $0.07. Regional Management had a net margin of 6.88% and a return on equity of 12.19%. The company had revenue of ($165.49) million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $167.90 million. Analysts forecast that Regional Management will post 4.7 earnings per share for the current year.

Regional Management Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 12th. Investors of record on Thursday, February 19th will be given a $0.30 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, February 19th. This represents a $1.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.5%. Regional Management’s payout ratio is currently 26.97%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, major shareholder Fund L.P. Forager sold 809 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, January 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $38.62, for a total transaction of $31,243.58. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 1,019,263 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $39,363,937.06. This represents a 0.08% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Michael R. Dunn sold 5,580 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, December 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $37.46, for a total value of $209,026.80. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 103,109 shares in the company, valued at $3,862,463.14. This trade represents a 5.13% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 77,475 shares of company stock worth $3,006,040. Corporate insiders own 10.50% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Regional Management

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. State of Alaska Department of Revenue acquired a new stake in shares of Regional Management during the 4th quarter worth about $25,000. Ameritas Investment Partners Inc. raised its holdings in Regional Management by 41.1% in the 2nd quarter. Ameritas Investment Partners Inc. now owns 947 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $28,000 after acquiring an additional 276 shares during the period. Wexford Capital LP acquired a new stake in Regional Management during the third quarter worth approximately $32,000. Advisory Services Network LLC bought a new stake in shares of Regional Management during the third quarter worth approximately $39,000. Finally, CWM LLC grew its position in shares of Regional Management by 43.7% in the third quarter. CWM LLC now owns 1,065 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $41,000 after purchasing an additional 324 shares during the last quarter. 98.89% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Regional Management Company Profile

Regional Management Corp., headquartered in Wilmington, North Carolina, is a consumer finance company specializing in installment loan products for underbanked individuals. Since its founding in 1977, the company has developed a network of field-based branches alongside a digital platform to offer credit solutions in rural and small-town markets across the United States.

The company’s core offerings include consumer installment loans for everyday purchases, auto refinancing and lease buyouts, as well as ancillary services such as insurance referrals.