Bank Of Montreal (NYSE:BMO) Receives Average Rating of “Hold” from Analysts

Shares of Bank Of Montreal (NYSE:BMO) (TSE:BMO) have been given an average rating of “Hold” by the eleven research firms that are presently covering the stock, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, three have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating on the company. The average 1-year price target among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $163.00.

A number of equities analysts recently commented on the company. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Bank Of Montreal in a report on Monday, December 29th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Bank Of Montreal from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Sunday, February 8th. Natl Bk Canada cut shares of Bank Of Montreal from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, December 1st. TD Securities upgraded shares of Bank Of Montreal from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 27th. Finally, Raymond James Financial initiated coverage on shares of Bank Of Montreal in a research report on Monday, November 24th. They issued a “market perform” rating on the stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Bank Of Montreal

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. True Wealth Design LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Bank Of Montreal in the 3rd quarter valued at about $28,000. WFA of San Diego LLC bought a new stake in Bank Of Montreal during the second quarter worth approximately $28,000. Annis Gardner Whiting Capital Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Bank Of Montreal in the fourth quarter worth about $29,000. Larson Financial Group LLC increased its holdings in shares of Bank Of Montreal by 466.7% in the third quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 238 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $31,000 after buying an additional 196 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Flagship Harbor Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Bank Of Montreal in the 4th quarter worth about $34,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 45.82% of the company’s stock.

Bank Of Montreal Stock Down 2.4%

BMO stock opened at $140.23 on Friday. Bank Of Montreal has a 12 month low of $85.40 and a 12 month high of $146.35. The company has a market cap of $99.22 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.18, a PEG ratio of 1.17 and a beta of 0.94. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $134.34 and a two-hundred day moving average of $126.82. The company has a current ratio of 1.00, a quick ratio of 1.00 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11.

Bank Of Montreal (NYSE:BMO) (TSE:BMO) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, December 4th. The bank reported $2.36 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.16 by $0.20. Bank Of Montreal had a return on equity of 11.76% and a net margin of 11.13%.The company had revenue of $6.67 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.51 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.90 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 5.3% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts forecast that Bank Of Montreal will post 7.71 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Bank Of Montreal Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, February 26th. Investors of record on Friday, January 30th will be issued a $1.67 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, January 30th. This represents a $6.68 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.8%. This is an increase from Bank Of Montreal’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.63. Bank Of Montreal’s payout ratio is currently 59.68%.

About Bank Of Montreal

Bank of Montreal (NYSE:BMO), commonly known as BMO Financial Group, is one of Canada’s largest and longest-established banks. Founded in Montreal and headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, the bank provides a broad range of financial services to retail, commercial, corporate and institutional clients. BMO is publicly listed in both Canada and the United States and operates under a consolidated financial services model that integrates banking, capital markets, wealth management and asset management activities.

BMO’s core businesses include personal and commercial banking—offering checking and savings accounts, lending, mortgages, and small-business services—alongside wealth management and private banking through its asset and investment management divisions.