Vanguard Group Inc. Boosts Stake in Southern Missouri Bancorp, Inc. $SMBC

Vanguard Group Inc. raised its holdings in Southern Missouri Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ:SMBC) by 2.1% during the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 609,644 shares of the savings and loans company’s stock after purchasing an additional 12,358 shares during the quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. owned 5.10% of Southern Missouri Bancorp worth $31,714,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP grew its stake in shares of Southern Missouri Bancorp by 4.9% in the fourth quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 397,765 shares of the savings and loans company’s stock valued at $22,820,000 after buying an additional 18,623 shares in the last quarter. Northern Trust Corp lifted its position in Southern Missouri Bancorp by 5.0% during the 4th quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 98,595 shares of the savings and loans company’s stock worth $5,656,000 after acquiring an additional 4,722 shares during the period. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV purchased a new position in shares of Southern Missouri Bancorp during the 4th quarter worth approximately $5,228,000. ACR Alpine Capital Research LLC grew its holdings in shares of Southern Missouri Bancorp by 2.2% in the 1st quarter. ACR Alpine Capital Research LLC now owns 48,543 shares of the savings and loans company’s stock worth $2,525,000 after acquiring an additional 1,067 shares during the period. Finally, Bridgeway Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Southern Missouri Bancorp by 3.1% in the 4th quarter. Bridgeway Capital Management LLC now owns 31,844 shares of the savings and loans company’s stock worth $1,827,000 after acquiring an additional 945 shares during the period. 49.49% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Southern Missouri Bancorp Stock Performance

SMBC opened at $57.78 on Thursday. The business’s 50 day moving average is $55.32 and its 200-day moving average is $54.14. The stock has a market cap of $652.91 million, a PE ratio of 11.15 and a beta of 1.03. The company has a current ratio of 0.98, a quick ratio of 0.98 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.24. Southern Missouri Bancorp, Inc. has a twelve month low of $45.10 and a twelve month high of $68.69.

Southern Missouri Bancorp (NASDAQ:SMBC) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, July 23rd. The savings and loans company reported $1.39 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.23 by $0.16. The firm had revenue of $47.61 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $46.60 million. Southern Missouri Bancorp had a return on equity of 11.35% and a net margin of 19.17%. On average, analysts predict that Southern Missouri Bancorp, Inc. will post 5.06 earnings per share for the current year.

Southern Missouri Bancorp Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 29th. Investors of record on Friday, August 15th will be paid a $0.25 dividend. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 15th. This is a boost from Southern Missouri Bancorp’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.23. Southern Missouri Bancorp’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 19.31%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Separately, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods increased their price target on Southern Missouri Bancorp from $60.00 to $63.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research note on Friday, July 25th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $64.67.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director William E. Young sold 10,000 shares of Southern Missouri Bancorp stock in a transaction on Monday, July 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $56.30, for a total value of $563,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 94,987 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,347,768.10. The trade was a 9.52% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Insiders own 16.60% of the company’s stock.

Southern Missouri Bancorp Profile

Southern Missouri Bancorp, Inc operates as the bank holding company for Southern Bank that provides banking and financial services to individuals and corporate customers in the United States. The company offers deposits products, including interest-bearing and noninterest-bearing transaction accounts, saving accounts, certificates of deposit, retirement savings plans, and money market deposit accounts.