Sound Financial Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ:SFBC) Sees Significant Growth in Short Interest

Sound Financial Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ:SFBC) was the target of a large growth in short interest in the month of January. As of January 15th, there was short interest totaling 40,536 shares, a growth of 45.3% from the December 31st total of 27,900 shares. Currently, 1.8% of the shares of the stock are short sold. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 5,130 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 7.9 days. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 5,130 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 7.9 days. Currently, 1.8% of the shares of the stock are short sold.

Sound Financial Bancorp Trading Up 0.3%

Shares of Sound Financial Bancorp stock opened at $44.01 on Tuesday. The company has a 50-day moving average of $44.01 and a two-hundred day moving average of $45.30. Sound Financial Bancorp has a 12-month low of $42.75 and a 12-month high of $52.75. The company has a current ratio of 1.12, a quick ratio of 1.12 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34. The stock has a market cap of $112.93 million, a PE ratio of 15.89 and a beta of 0.10.

Sound Financial Bancorp (NASDAQ:SFBC) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, January 27th. The bank reported $0.87 earnings per share for the quarter. Sound Financial Bancorp had a return on equity of 6.76% and a net margin of 11.64%.The business had revenue of $9.53 million for the quarter.

Sound Financial Bancorp Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, February 23rd. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 9th will be issued a $0.21 dividend. This represents a $0.84 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.9%. This is a positive change from Sound Financial Bancorp’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.19. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, February 9th. Sound Financial Bancorp’s dividend payout ratio is currently 30.32%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Sound Financial Bancorp in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. One analyst has rated the stock with a Hold rating, According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold”.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Sound Financial Bancorp

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in SFBC. Bank of America Corp DE grew its stake in Sound Financial Bancorp by 4,863.2% in the 2nd quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 943 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $43,000 after acquiring an additional 924 shares during the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. purchased a new stake in shares of Sound Financial Bancorp in the second quarter valued at about $47,000. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. purchased a new stake in shares of Sound Financial Bancorp in the second quarter valued at about $54,000. New York State Common Retirement Fund acquired a new stake in shares of Sound Financial Bancorp in the second quarter valued at approximately $101,000. Finally, FNY Investment Advisers LLC increased its stake in shares of Sound Financial Bancorp by 52.6% during the 2nd quarter. FNY Investment Advisers LLC now owns 9,600 shares of the bank’s stock worth $441,000 after purchasing an additional 3,307 shares in the last quarter. 68.85% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Sound Financial Bancorp Company Profile

Sound Financial Bancorp, Inc is a bank holding company and the parent of Sound Community Bank, a community‐oriented financial institution headquartered in University Place, Washington. Through its subsidiary, the company delivers a broad array of banking and financial services to individuals, small businesses and commercial clients throughout the Puget Sound region. Emphasizing relationship banking, Sound Financial Bancorp seeks to support local economic development by offering personalized service and community engagement.

The company’s core offerings include deposit products such as checking and savings accounts, money market accounts and certificates of deposit, as well as a full spectrum of lending solutions.