Adage Capital Partners GP L.L.C. Acquires 16,407 Shares of Saul Centers, Inc. (NYSE:BFS)

Adage Capital Partners GP L.L.C. increased its holdings in shares of Saul Centers, Inc. (NYSE:BFS) by 2.5% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 681,730 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock after buying an additional 16,407 shares during the period. Adage Capital Partners GP L.L.C. owned about 2.82% of Saul Centers worth $26,451,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Assetmark Inc. raised its position in shares of Saul Centers by 1,249.5% during the fourth quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 1,336 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $52,000 after acquiring an additional 1,237 shares during the last quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. increased its position in Saul Centers by 12.7% during the 4th quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 2,418 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $94,000 after purchasing an additional 273 shares during the period. KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS bought a new position in Saul Centers during the 4th quarter worth approximately $105,000. Resona Asset Management Co. Ltd. acquired a new position in shares of Saul Centers in the 4th quarter worth approximately $179,000. Finally, First Trust Advisors LP bought a new stake in shares of Saul Centers in the 4th quarter valued at $215,000. 49.99% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Saul Centers Stock Down 0.1 %

Shares of Saul Centers stock opened at $32.58 on Friday. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $35.08 and its 200 day moving average is $37.57. Saul Centers, Inc. has a one year low of $31.59 and a one year high of $42.39. The firm has a market cap of $788.47 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.71 and a beta of 0.97. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.61, a current ratio of 1.13 and a quick ratio of 1.13.

Saul Centers (NYSE:BFS) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Friday, February 28th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.63 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.32 by $0.31. The firm had revenue of $67.92 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $68.94 million. Saul Centers had a return on equity of 17.16% and a net margin of 20.84%. Equities research analysts anticipate that Saul Centers, Inc. will post 3.14 EPS for the current year.

Saul Centers Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 30th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, April 15th will be issued a dividend of $0.59 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, April 15th. This represents a $2.36 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 7.24%. Saul Centers’s dividend payout ratio is currently 144.79%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Separately, StockNews.com downgraded shares of Saul Centers from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, March 7th.

About Saul Centers

Saul Centers is a self-managed, self-administered equity REIT headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland. Saul Centers currently operates and manages a real estate portfolio comprised of 61 properties that includes (a) 57 community and neighborhood Shopping Centers and Mixed-Use properties with approximately 9.8 million square feet of leasable area and (b) four land and development properties.