Wall Street Zen Upgrades Regional Management (NYSE:RM) to Buy

Regional Management (NYSE:RM) was upgraded by Wall Street Zen from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report issued on Saturday, Wall Street Zen reports.

A number of other equities research analysts have also recently weighed in on RM. Citizens Jmp cut their price target on Regional Management from $45.00 to $43.00 and set a “market outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, July 30th. Weiss Ratings raised Regional Management from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a report on Monday, September 21st. Finally, Citigroup restated a “market outperform” rating on shares of Regional Management in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Regional Management has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $43.00.

Regional Management Trading Down 0.0%

Shares of NYSE:RM opened at $30.82 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $284.43 million, a PE ratio of 6.49 and a beta of 1.00. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $34.19 and its 200 day moving average price is $35.75. Regional Management has a fifty-two week low of $30.12 and a fifty-two week high of $44.29. The company has a quick ratio of 64.04, a current ratio of 64.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.41.

Regional Management (NYSE:RM) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The credit services provider reported $0.85 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.81 by $0.04. Regional Management had a net margin of 6.98% and a return on equity of 12.49%. The firm had revenue of $168.01 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $165.69 million.

Insider Buying and Selling at Regional Management

In other Regional Management news, CEO Lakhbir S. Lamba bought 3,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 12th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $31.76 per share, with a total value of $111,160.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 55,734 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,770,111.84. This represents a 6.70% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CAO Steven B. Barnette sold 3,274 shares of Regional Management stock in a transaction on Friday, July 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $43.30, for a total value of $141,764.20. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer owned 13,472 shares in the company, valued at $583,337.60. This represents a 19.55% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 34,396 shares of company stock valued at $1,160,905 in the last three months. 10.90% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Regional Management

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Legal & General Group Plc acquired a new stake in Regional Management during the 2nd quarter worth about $33,000. Algert Global LLC purchased a new position in Regional Management during the 2nd quarter valued at about $209,000. R Squared Ltd acquired a new position in shares of Regional Management in the 1st quarter valued at about $212,000. Susquehanna Fundamental Investments LLC acquired a new position in shares of Regional Management in the 2nd quarter valued at about $266,000. Finally, Canada Pension Plan Investment Board purchased a new stake in shares of Regional Management in the second quarter worth approximately $284,000. 98.89% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Regional Management

Regional Management Corp. is a specialty consumer finance company that provides credit products to customers who may have limited access to traditional bank financing. The company operates primarily through its Regional Finance branch network and focuses on serving non-prime consumers.

Its principal products include small and large installment loans, generally used for personal, household and other consumer purposes. Regional Management may also offer optional credit-related insurance and ancillary products in connection with its loans, subject to applicable laws and regulations.

Founded in 1987 and headquartered in Greer, South Carolina, the company serves customers across a network of branches concentrated in the southeastern and southwestern United States.