Community Financial System (NYSE:CBU) Stock Price Crosses Above Two Hundred Day Moving Average – Time to Sell?

Shares of Community Financial System, Inc. (NYSE:CBU) crossed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Monday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $59.40 and traded as high as $60.09. Community Financial System shares last traded at $60.0110, with a volume of 135,241 shares traded.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have recently commented on the stock. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Community Financial System from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research report on Monday, March 23rd. DA Davidson assumed coverage on shares of Community Financial System in a research report on Wednesday, February 25th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $72.00 price objective for the company. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Community Financial System from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, March 21st. Finally, Janney Montgomery Scott downgraded shares of Community Financial System from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 13th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating, Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $66.67.

Community Financial System Trading Up 1.0%

The company has a market cap of $3.15 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.12 and a beta of 0.77. The company has a current ratio of 0.76, a quick ratio of 0.76 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.23. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $61.18 and its 200 day moving average price is $59.40.

Community Financial System (NYSE:CBU) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, January 27th. The bank reported $1.12 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.13 by ($0.01). Community Financial System had a return on equity of 11.09% and a net margin of 20.82%.The firm had revenue of $215.56 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $212.85 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $0.94 earnings per share. Community Financial System’s revenue for the quarter was up 9.8% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts expect that Community Financial System, Inc. will post 4.18 EPS for the current year.

Community Financial System Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 10th. Investors of record on Monday, March 16th will be issued a $0.47 dividend. This represents a $1.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.1%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 16th. Community Financial System’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 47.36%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director John F. Whipple sold 4,246 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $65.17, for a total value of $276,711.82. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 8,506 shares in the company, valued at $554,336.02. This trade represents a 33.30% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, Director Eric Stickels sold 2,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $64.75, for a total value of $129,500.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 33,342 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,158,894.50. This represents a 5.66% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 1.01% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Community Financial System

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of CBU. Norges Bank bought a new position in shares of Community Financial System in the 4th quarter worth $38,993,000. Bank of America Corp DE lifted its holdings in shares of Community Financial System by 132.9% in the 3rd quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 636,257 shares of the bank’s stock worth $37,310,000 after purchasing an additional 363,012 shares in the last quarter. Riggs Asset Managment Co. Inc. lifted its stake in Community Financial System by 740.1% during the 4th quarter. Riggs Asset Managment Co. Inc. now owns 401,450 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $23,059,000 after acquiring an additional 353,663 shares in the last quarter. Basswood Capital Management L.L.C. bought a new position in Community Financial System during the 2nd quarter valued at $15,185,000. Finally, Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. lifted its stake in Community Financial System by 10,989.2% during the 4th quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 200,049 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $11,491,000 after acquiring an additional 198,245 shares in the last quarter. 73.79% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

About Community Financial System

Community Financial System (NYSE: CBU) is the bank holding company for Community Bank, National Association, a full-service commercial bank headquartered in DeWitt, New York. Through its principal subsidiary, the company offers a range of banking and financial services designed to meet the needs of both consumer and business clients. Its organizational structure centers on community-based banking operations supported by centralized technology, risk management and administrative functions.

The company’s product offerings include deposit accounts, residential and commercial mortgage loans, commercial and consumer lending, treasury and cash management services, and electronic banking.