BancFirst (NASDAQ:BANF) Posts Quarterly Earnings Results, Misses Estimates By $0.03 EPS

BancFirst (NASDAQ:BANF) issued its earnings results on Thursday. The bank reported $1.75 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.78 by ($0.03), Zacks reports. BancFirst had a return on equity of 13.97% and a net margin of 25.13%.

BancFirst Stock Up 1.2%

BANF traded up $1.42 during trading on Thursday, reaching $117.36. The stock had a trading volume of 108,689 shares, compared to its average volume of 111,185. The company has a current ratio of 1.02, a quick ratio of 1.02 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.05. The company has a market capitalization of $3.91 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.65 and a beta of 0.66. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $110.42 and its two-hundred day moving average is $119.78. BancFirst has a one year low of $97.02 and a one year high of $138.77.

BancFirst Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, January 15th. Investors of record on Wednesday, December 31st were paid a $0.49 dividend. This represents a $1.96 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, December 31st. BancFirst’s dividend payout ratio is presently 27.80%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

BANF has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of BancFirst in a report on Monday, December 22nd. Wall Street Zen lowered BancFirst from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Saturday, October 25th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reduced their target price on BancFirst from $132.00 to $120.00 and set a “market perform” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, October 20th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, BancFirst currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $128.00.

Institutional Trading of BancFirst

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Invesco Ltd. increased its holdings in shares of BancFirst by 73.4% in the 3rd quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 163,512 shares of the bank’s stock worth $20,676,000 after purchasing an additional 69,192 shares in the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. boosted its position in shares of BancFirst by 33.5% in the third quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. now owns 134,175 shares of the bank’s stock worth $16,966,000 after purchasing an additional 33,636 shares during the period. Jane Street Group LLC bought a new position in BancFirst in the 1st quarter worth $3,646,000. Zacks Investment Management purchased a new stake in BancFirst in the 3rd quarter worth $3,328,000. Finally, Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV bought a new position in shares of BancFirst in the third quarter worth about $2,050,000. 51.72% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About BancFirst

BancFirst Corporation is a regional banking holding company based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. As the largest state?chartered bank in Oklahoma, BancFirst offers a comprehensive suite of financial services to individuals, businesses and government entities. Its core business activities include commercial and consumer banking, mortgage lending, treasury management, equipment financing and electronic banking solutions.

The bank operates a network of more than 60 branches across Oklahoma, serving urban centers such as Oklahoma City and Tulsa, as well as rural communities throughout the state.