FirstService Co. (NASDAQ:FSV) Receives $177.29 Average PT from Brokerages

Shares of FirstService Co. (NASDAQ:FSV) (TSE:FSV) have been given an average recommendation of “Buy” by the six brokerages that are currently covering the stock, Marketbeat.com reports. Six analysts have rated the stock with a buy recommendation. The average 12-month price target among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $177.29.

FSV has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. BMO Capital Markets decreased their price objective on shares of FirstService from $196.00 to $193.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, February 7th. StockNews.com lowered shares of FirstService from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 7th. Royal Bank of Canada reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $187.00 price target on shares of FirstService in a research note on Wednesday, February 7th. Raymond James upped their price objective on FirstService from $185.00 to $205.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, January 26th. Finally, TheStreet cut shares of FirstService from a “b-” rating to a “c” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 6th.

FirstService Stock Performance

NASDAQ FSV opened at $158.84 on Wednesday. FirstService has a 1-year low of $134.77 and a 1-year high of $171.94. The company has a market cap of $7.14 billion, a PE ratio of 70.91 and a beta of 0.97. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $165.84 and its 200-day simple moving average is $157.77. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.15, a current ratio of 1.82 and a quick ratio of 1.82.

FirstService (NASDAQ:FSV) (TSE:FSV) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 6th. The financial services provider reported $1.03 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.07 by ($0.04). FirstService had a net margin of 2.32% and a return on equity of 17.56%. The company had revenue of $1.08 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.07 billion. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that FirstService will post 4.69 EPS for the current fiscal year.

FirstService Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, April 5th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 29th were issued a dividend of $0.25 per share. This is an increase from FirstService’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.23. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.63%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, March 27th. FirstService’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 44.64%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company Inc. acquired a new position in shares of FirstService in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $39,000. Spire Wealth Management acquired a new position in FirstService in the 4th quarter valued at $40,000. Accent Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of FirstService during the 4th quarter worth $40,000. Pinebridge Investments L.P. acquired a new stake in shares of FirstService during the second quarter worth $61,000. Finally, Exchange Traded Concepts LLC grew its position in shares of FirstService by 126.6% in the third quarter. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC now owns 392 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $57,000 after purchasing an additional 219 shares during the period. 69.35% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

FirstService Company Profile

FirstService Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, provides residential property management and other essential property services to residential and commercial customers in the United States and Canada. It operates through two segments: FirstService Residential and FirstService Brands. The FirstService Residential segment offers services for private residential communities, such as condominiums, co-operatives, homeowner associations, master-planned communities, active adult and lifestyle communities, and various other residential developments.