Franklin Financial Services (NASDAQ:FRAF) Trading Up 2.7% – Time to Buy?

Franklin Financial Services Corp. (NASDAQ:FRAF) was up 2.7% on Monday . The company traded as high as $53.72 and last traded at $53.04. Approximately 56,879 shares were traded during trading, an increase of 140% from the average daily volume of 23,735 shares. The stock had previously closed at $51.67.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on FRAF shares. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Franklin Financial Services in a report on Wednesday, January 28th. Wall Street Zen raised Franklin Financial Services from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, March 14th. Finally, Hovde Group initiated coverage on Franklin Financial Services in a report on Wednesday, March 11th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $59.00 price objective on the stock. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $59.00.

Franklin Financial Services Stock Up 2.7%

The firm has a market capitalization of $238.15 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.19 and a beta of -0.10. The company has a current ratio of 0.92, a quick ratio of 0.91 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.14. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $50.23 and a 200 day moving average price of $49.77.

Franklin Financial Services (NASDAQ:FRAF) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, January 27th. The company reported $1.35 EPS for the quarter. The business had revenue of $23.31 million for the quarter. Franklin Financial Services had a return on equity of 13.06% and a net margin of 15.90%.

Franklin Financial Services Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, February 25th. Investors of record on Friday, February 6th were given a $0.33 dividend. This represents a $1.32 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.5%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 6th. Franklin Financial Services’s payout ratio is 27.85%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of FRAF. Cubist Systematic Strategies LLC bought a new position in Franklin Financial Services in the 1st quarter worth approximately $133,000. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Franklin Financial Services during the 1st quarter valued at $571,000. Empowered Funds LLC raised its position in shares of Franklin Financial Services by 3.7% during the 1st quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 33,474 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,187,000 after acquiring an additional 1,202 shares during the last quarter. Jane Street Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of Franklin Financial Services during the 1st quarter valued at $529,000. Finally, Geode Capital Management LLC raised its position in shares of Franklin Financial Services by 109.8% during the 2nd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 98,224 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,401,000 after acquiring an additional 51,407 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 24.80% of the company’s stock.

Franklin Financial Services Company Profile

Franklin Financial Services, Inc (NASDAQ: FRAF) is a U.S.‐listed specialty finance company that makes and acquires secured loans, with a focus on asset-based lending and mortgage warehouse financing. Through its wholly owned subsidiary, FFS Investment Company, a Maryland corporation regulated as a business development company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, Franklin Financial provides revolving lines of credit, term loans and other credit facilities secured primarily by residential and commercial mortgage loans, receivables and inventory.