Brokerages Set Simmons First National Corporation (NASDAQ:SFNC) Price Target at $22.33

Shares of Simmons First National Corporation (NASDAQ:SFNC) have earned a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” from the eight analysts that are presently covering the firm, MarketBeat.com reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating, two have assigned a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company. The average twelve-month target price among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $22.3333.

SFNC has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Zacks Research downgraded Simmons First National from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, October 13th. Wall Street Zen cut Simmons First National from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Sunday. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lowered their target price on shares of Simmons First National from $22.00 to $21.00 and set a “market perform” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, October 20th. National Bankshares set a $22.00 price objective on shares of Simmons First National in a report on Tuesday, October 28th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a “sell (d+)” rating on shares of Simmons First National in a research note on Monday, December 29th.

Simmons First National Stock Down 0.2%

SFNC opened at $19.24 on Friday. Simmons First National has a fifty-two week low of $17.00 and a fifty-two week high of $23.44. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.78 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -6.57 and a beta of 0.89. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20, a quick ratio of 0.88 and a current ratio of 0.88. The company has a fifty day moving average of $18.82 and a two-hundred day moving average of $19.23.

Simmons First National Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, January 2nd. Investors of record on Monday, December 15th were given a $0.2125 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, December 15th. This represents a $0.85 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.4%. Simmons First National’s payout ratio is currently -29.01%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Simmons First National

In other news, Director Steven A. Cosse acquired 8,603 shares of Simmons First National stock in a transaction dated Thursday, October 30th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $17.44 per share, with a total value of $150,036.32. Following the purchase, the director directly owned 113,652 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,982,090.88. This trade represents a 8.19% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, EVP David W. Garner acquired 3,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, October 22nd. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $17.66 per share, with a total value of $52,980.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 72,345 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,277,612.70. This represents a 4.33% increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. Company insiders own 1.91% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Squarepoint Ops LLC raised its position in Simmons First National by 705.8% in the second quarter. Squarepoint Ops LLC now owns 122,145 shares of the bank’s stock worth $2,316,000 after acquiring an additional 106,986 shares in the last quarter. State of Alaska Department of Revenue grew its stake in shares of Simmons First National by 7.6% in the 2nd quarter. State of Alaska Department of Revenue now owns 74,955 shares of the bank’s stock worth $1,420,000 after purchasing an additional 5,298 shares during the last quarter. Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd bought a new stake in shares of Simmons First National in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $518,000. Savant Capital LLC acquired a new stake in Simmons First National during the second quarter valued at approximately $279,000. Finally, Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio boosted its holdings in Simmons First National by 12.4% during the second quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio now owns 136,519 shares of the bank’s stock worth $2,588,000 after buying an additional 15,053 shares in the last quarter. 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.