Stifel Financial (NYSE:SF) Hits New 12-Month High – What’s Next?

Stifel Financial Corporation (NYSE:SF) reached a new 52-week high during trading on Friday . The company traded as high as $121.70 and last traded at $121.4440, with a volume of 325112 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $120.07.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on shares of Stifel Financial from $102.00 to $125.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, July 11th. BMO Capital Markets started coverage on shares of Stifel Financial in a research report on Friday, October 3rd. They set a “market perform” rating and a $121.00 price objective for the company. Citigroup reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of Stifel Financial in a research report on Thursday, October 9th. TD Cowen upgraded Stifel Financial from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and upped their price target for the stock from $118.00 to $131.00 in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus set a $131.00 price objective on Stifel Financial in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have assigned a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Stifel Financial has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $125.90.

Stifel Financial Price Performance

The company has a 50 day moving average of $114.15 and a 200 day moving average of $106.25. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.28, a quick ratio of 0.77 and a current ratio of 0.82. The stock has a market capitalization of $12.43 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.50 and a beta of 1.19.

Stifel Financial (NYSE:SF) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, October 22nd. The financial services provider reported $1.95 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.89 by $0.06. Stifel Financial had a return on equity of 15.06% and a net margin of 12.44%.The business had revenue of $1.43 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.33 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.50 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 16.7% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Stifel Financial Corporation will post 8.26 EPS for the current year.

Stifel Financial Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, December 15th. Shareholders of record on Monday, December 1st will be given a $0.46 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, December 1st. This represents a $1.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.5%. Stifel Financial’s dividend payout ratio is currently 32.51%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Stifel Financial

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of SF. Allworth Financial LP boosted its holdings in shares of Stifel Financial by 67.7% in the 1st quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 337 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 136 shares in the last quarter. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. boosted its stake in Stifel Financial by 2,383.3% in the third quarter. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. now owns 298 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $34,000 after acquiring an additional 286 shares in the last quarter. HM Payson & Co. purchased a new position in shares of Stifel Financial during the third quarter worth about $37,000. Root Financial Partners LLC purchased a new position in shares of Stifel Financial during the third quarter worth about $37,000. Finally, Hantz Financial Services Inc. increased its position in shares of Stifel Financial by 5,528.6% during the second quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 394 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $41,000 after purchasing an additional 387 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 82.01% of the company’s stock.

About Stifel Financial

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.