Simmons First National Corporation (NASDAQ:SFNC) Given Consensus Rating of “Moderate Buy” by Brokerages

Shares of Simmons First National Corporation (NASDAQ:SFNC) have earned a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” from the nine research firms that are currently covering the company, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation, two have given a buy recommendation and two have given a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 1 year price target among brokers that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $24.50.

Several equities analysts have issued reports on SFNC shares. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Simmons First National in a report on Tuesday, July 21st. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lifted their price objective on Simmons First National from $24.00 to $25.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research note on Monday, July 20th. National Bank Financial set a $25.00 price target on Simmons First National in a research report on Monday, July 20th. Morgan Stanley restated a “positive” rating on shares of Simmons First National in a research report on Monday, June 29th. Finally, DA Davidson reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and set a $23.00 price target on shares of Simmons First National in a research report on Friday, July 17th.

Simmons First National Price Performance

Shares of SFNC opened at $22.69 on Monday. Simmons First National has a 1-year low of $17.00 and a 1-year high of $24.32. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.28 billion, a PE ratio of -8.97 and a beta of 0.91. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36, a current ratio of 0.93 and a quick ratio of 0.92. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $23.13 and its 200-day moving average price is $21.54.

Simmons First National (NASDAQ:SFNC) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, July 16th. The bank reported $0.50 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.53 by ($0.03). Simmons First National had a negative net margin of 24.64% and a positive return on equity of 8.32%. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $0.44 EPS. The firm’s revenue was up 16.1% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts predict that Simmons First National will post 2.05 EPS for the current year.

Simmons First National Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 1st. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, September 15th will be paid a dividend of $0.215 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, September 15th. This represents a $0.86 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.8%. Simmons First National’s dividend payout ratio is -33.99%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Simmons First National

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Bessemer Group Inc. raised its stake in shares of Simmons First National by 156.0% during the 1st quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 1,518 shares of the bank’s stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 925 shares in the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Simmons First National by 197.5% during the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,663 shares of the bank’s stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 1,104 shares in the last quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Simmons First National by 35.6% in the fourth quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 1,884 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $36,000 after purchasing an additional 495 shares during the period. Nykredit A S acquired a new position in Simmons First National during the second quarter worth about $41,000. Finally, Osaic Holdings Inc. lifted its position in shares of Simmons First National by 32.0% during the 2nd quarter. Osaic Holdings Inc. now owns 2,658 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $50,000 after acquiring an additional 644 shares during the period. 27.58% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Simmons First National Company Profile

Simmons First National Corporation (NASDAQ:SFNC) is a bank holding company headquartered in Pine Bluff, Arkansas. Through its primary operating subsidiary, Simmons Bank, the company maintains a network of more than 200 branches across Arkansas, Tennessee, Missouri, Mississippi, Texas, Oklahoma and North Carolina. Simmons First National offers a full suite of financial services to individuals, small businesses and commercial clients, emphasizing relationship-driven community banking.

The company’s core business activities span deposit-taking, lending and payment services.