Bank OZK (OZK) – What Are Brokerages Saying About This Stock?

Bank OZK (NASDAQ:OZK) has been assigned an average rating of “Hold” from the eleven brokerages that are currently covering the stock, Marketbeat reports. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have given a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the company. The average 1-year price target among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $55.14.

Several brokerages have recently issued reports on OZK. Raymond James Financial initiated coverage on shares of Bank OZK in a research report on Tuesday, September 1st. They issued a “market perform” rating on the stock. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Bank OZK from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Sunday, September 27th. Citigroup reaffirmed a “sell” rating on shares of Bank OZK in a research note on Tuesday, October 6th. Zacks Research upgraded Bank OZK from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, September 25th. Finally, UBS Group boosted their price objective on Bank OZK from $50.00 to $51.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 28th.

Bank OZK Stock Up 2.6%

Shares of OZK opened at $51.96 on Thursday. The company has a current ratio of 0.98, a quick ratio of 0.97 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.21. Bank OZK has a 12 month low of $42.37 and a 12 month high of $53.39. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $47.90 and its two-hundred day moving average is $48.50. The firm has a market cap of $5.81 billion, a P/E ratio of 8.47 and a beta of 0.92.

Bank OZK (NASDAQ:OZK) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, October 20th. The company reported $1.50 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.43 by $0.07. Bank OZK had a return on equity of 11.56% and a net margin of 24.70%. The firm had revenue of $391.48 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $434.83 million. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $1.59 EPS. Analysts predict that Bank OZK will post 5.91 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Bank OZK Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, October 20th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, October 13th were given a $0.49 dividend. This represents a $1.96 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.8%. This is a boost from Bank OZK’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.48. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, October 13th. Bank OZK’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 32.89%.

Institutional Trading of Bank OZK

A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in OZK. Kestra Advisory Services LLC purchased a new position in Bank OZK in the third quarter worth approximately $412,000. Pathway Financial Advisers LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Bank OZK in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $66,000. Covestor Ltd increased its position in shares of Bank OZK by 21.7% in the 3rd quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 3,785 shares of the company’s stock valued at $175,000 after purchasing an additional 676 shares during the last quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. acquired a new stake in shares of Bank OZK in the 3rd quarter valued at $4,442,000. Finally, Aviance Capital Partners LLC raised its holdings in shares of Bank OZK by 3.2% in the 3rd quarter. Aviance Capital Partners LLC now owns 26,697 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,227,000 after purchasing an additional 817 shares in the last quarter. 86.18% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Bank OZK

Bank OZK (NASDAQ:OZK) is a regional financial institution headquartered in Little Rock, Arkansas. The company provides banking services to individuals, businesses and institutions, including deposit accounts, commercial and consumer loans, mortgage lending, treasury management and online and mobile banking.

Bank OZK also operates specialized lending businesses, including its Real Estate Specialties Group, which provides financing for commercial real estate development and other complex real estate projects.