Simmons First National Corporation (NASDAQ:SFNC) Receives $22.33 Consensus Price Target from Analysts

Shares of Simmons First National Corporation (NASDAQ:SFNC) have earned an average rating of “Hold” from the seven analysts that are covering the firm, Marketbeat reports. Five analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the company. The average twelve-month price target among analysts that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $22.3333.

A number of brokerages have commented on SFNC. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods decreased their price objective on Simmons First National from $22.00 to $21.00 and set a “market perform” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, October 20th. Morgan Stanley assumed coverage on shares of Simmons First National in a research report on Tuesday, October 28th. They issued a “positive” rating and a $22.00 target price for the company. DA Davidson raised their price target on shares of Simmons First National from $21.00 to $23.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 23rd. Zacks Research cut shares of Simmons First National from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, October 13th. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Simmons First National in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th.

Simmons First National Stock Up 2.6%

Shares of SFNC opened at $17.91 on Monday. The firm has a market cap of $2.59 billion, a P/E ratio of -6.11 and a beta of 0.97. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20, a quick ratio of 0.88 and a current ratio of 0.88. Simmons First National has a 52 week low of $17.00 and a 52 week high of $25.56. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $19.14 and its 200 day simple moving average is $19.31.

Simmons First National (NASDAQ:SFNC) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 16th. The bank reported $0.46 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.47 by ($0.01). Simmons First National had a positive return on equity of 5.84% and a negative net margin of 29.70%.The company had revenue of $232.54 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $103.26 million. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $0.37 earnings per share. The company’s revenue was up 14.4% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts forecast that Simmons First National will post 1.66 earnings per share for the current year.

Simmons First National Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, October 1st. Stockholders of record on Monday, September 15th were issued a dividend of $0.2125 per share. This represents a $0.85 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, September 15th. Simmons First National’s dividend payout ratio is -29.01%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP David W. Garner purchased 3,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, October 22nd. The shares were bought at an average price of $17.66 per share, for a total transaction of $52,980.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 72,345 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,277,612.70. This trade represents a 4.33% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, Director Steven A. Cosse acquired 8,603 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, October 30th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $17.44 per share, with a total value of $150,036.32. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 113,652 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,982,090.88. This trade represents a 8.19% increase in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. 1.44% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. KBC Group NV boosted its holdings in shares of Simmons First National by 18.7% in the 1st quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 7,231 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $148,000 after purchasing an additional 1,140 shares in the last quarter. Teacher Retirement System of Texas lifted its position in shares of Simmons First National by 99.9% during the 1st quarter. Teacher Retirement System of Texas now owns 19,066 shares of the bank’s stock worth $391,000 after buying an additional 9,530 shares during the last quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. boosted its stake in Simmons First National by 2.7% in the first quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 691,328 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $14,193,000 after buying an additional 17,888 shares in the last quarter. OneDigital Investment Advisors LLC grew its position in Simmons First National by 1.6% in the first quarter. OneDigital Investment Advisors LLC now owns 62,588 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $1,285,000 after acquiring an additional 966 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Cerity Partners LLC raised its stake in Simmons First National by 5.5% during the first quarter. Cerity Partners LLC now owns 16,058 shares of the bank’s stock worth $330,000 after acquiring an additional 836 shares in the last quarter. 27.58% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

About Simmons First National

Simmons First National Corporation operates as the holding company for Simmons Bank that provides banking and other financial products and services to individuals and businesses. The company offers checking, savings, and time deposits; consumer, real estate, and commercial loans; agricultural finance, equipment, and small business administration lending; trust and fiduciary services; credit cards; investment management products; treasury management; insurance products; and securities and investment services.