Bank Of Montreal (NYSE:BMO) Sees Unusually-High Trading Volume – Still a Buy?

Bank Of Montreal (NYSE:BMO) (TSE:BMO) saw unusually-high trading volume on Tuesday . Approximately 3,116,649 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 276% from the previous session’s volume of 829,280 shares.The stock last traded at $151.9830 and had previously closed at $152.37.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts recently commented on the stock. Scotiabank reissued a “sector perform” rating on shares of Bank Of Montreal in a report on Friday, January 9th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Bank Of Montreal in a research report on Friday, April 17th. Zacks Research raised Bank Of Montreal from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 19th. Barclays cut Bank Of Montreal from an “equal weight” rating to an “underweight” rating in a report on Friday, March 20th. Finally, Raymond James Financial raised Bank Of Montreal from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, February 13th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have assigned a Buy rating, six have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Bank Of Montreal presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $163.00.

Bank Of Montreal Stock Down 0.6%

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11, a current ratio of 1.02 and a quick ratio of 1.02. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $142.45 and its 200 day moving average price is $134.59. The firm has a market capitalization of $106.12 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.59, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.98 and a beta of 0.92.

Bank Of Montreal (NYSE:BMO) (TSE:BMO) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, February 25th. The bank reported $2.51 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.35 by $0.16. The firm had revenue of $7.21 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.73 billion. Bank Of Montreal had a return on equity of 12.16% and a net margin of 11.76%.Bank Of Montreal’s revenue was up 6.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $3.04 EPS. Sell-side analysts expect that Bank Of Montreal will post 10.2 EPS for the current year.

Bank Of Montreal Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, May 26th. Investors of record on Wednesday, April 29th will be given a dividend of $1.67 per share. This represents a $6.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.4%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, April 29th. Bank Of Montreal’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 56.56%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. True Wealth Design LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Bank Of Montreal during the third quarter worth about $28,000. WFA of San Diego LLC purchased a new position in shares of Bank Of Montreal during the second quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Annis Gardner Whiting Capital Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Bank Of Montreal during the fourth quarter worth approximately $29,000. Larson Financial Group LLC boosted its position in Bank Of Montreal by 466.7% during the third quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 238 shares of the bank’s stock worth $31,000 after acquiring an additional 196 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Flagship Harbor Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Bank Of Montreal in the 4th quarter worth approximately $34,000. 45.82% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Bank Of Montreal Company Profile

Bank of Montreal (NYSE:BMO), commonly known as BMO Financial Group, is one of Canada’s largest and longest-established banks. Founded in Montreal and headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, the bank provides a broad range of financial services to retail, commercial, corporate and institutional clients. BMO is publicly listed in both Canada and the United States and operates under a consolidated financial services model that integrates banking, capital markets, wealth management and asset management activities.

BMO’s core businesses include personal and commercial banking—offering checking and savings accounts, lending, mortgages, and small-business services—alongside wealth management and private banking through its asset and investment management divisions.