Saul Centers (NYSE:BFS) Hits New 12-Month High at $41.80

Shares of Saul Centers, Inc. (NYSE:BFS) reached a new 52-week high on Monday . The company traded as high as $41.80 and last traded at $41.48, with a volume of 3813 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $41.01.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Separately, B. Riley upped their price target on Saul Centers from $43.50 to $45.50 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, August 22nd.

Saul Centers Trading Down 1.1 %

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.40, a current ratio of 0.83 and a quick ratio of 0.83. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $39.90 and its two-hundred day moving average is $37.96. The firm has a market capitalization of $995.49 million, a PE ratio of 23.99 and a beta of 1.10.

Saul Centers (NYSE:BFS) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, August 1st. The real estate investment trust reported $0.48 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.77 by ($0.29). The business had revenue of $66.94 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $65.54 million. Saul Centers had a return on equity of 16.61% and a net margin of 20.49%. On average, equities analysts predict that Saul Centers, Inc. will post 3.12 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Saul Centers Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 31st. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, October 15th will be given a dividend of $0.59 per share. This represents a $2.36 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.69%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, October 15th. Saul Centers’s dividend payout ratio is presently 136.42%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Whittier Trust Co. bought a new stake in shares of Saul Centers in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $74,000. Point72 Asia Singapore Pte. Ltd. purchased a new stake in Saul Centers in the second quarter worth $102,000. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank raised its stake in shares of Saul Centers by 235.4% in the second quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank now owns 3,223 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $119,000 after buying an additional 2,262 shares during the period. Susquehanna Fundamental Investments LLC purchased a new position in shares of Saul Centers during the 1st quarter valued at $224,000. Finally, Cubist Systematic Strategies LLC bought a new position in shares of Saul Centers during the 2nd quarter worth $228,000. 49.99% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Saul Centers

Saul Centers is a self-managed, self-administered equity REIT headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland. Saul Centers currently operates and manages a real estate portfolio comprised of 61 properties that includes (a) 57 community and neighborhood Shopping Centers and Mixed-Use properties with approximately 9.8 million square feet of leasable area and (b) four land and development properties.