Stifel Financial Corporation (NYSE:SF) Given Average Rating of “Moderate Buy” by Analysts

Stifel Financial Corporation (NYSE:SF) has been assigned an average rating of “Moderate Buy” from the twelve research firms that are currently covering the firm, MarketBeat reports. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the company. The average 1-year price target among brokers that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $135.1818.

Several research analysts have weighed in on the company. Zacks Research downgraded Stifel Financial from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, November 24th. Stifel Nicolaus set a $138.00 price objective on Stifel Financial in a research report on Wednesday, January 14th. Wolfe Research reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $149.00 target price on shares of Stifel Financial in a research report on Wednesday, January 7th. Citizens Jmp raised their price target on Stifel Financial from $140.00 to $155.00 and gave the stock a “market outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, January 12th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Stifel Financial in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Stifel Financial news, insider David Rubulotta sold 400 shares of Stifel Financial stock in a transaction on Monday, February 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $124.31, for a total value of $49,724.00. Following the transaction, the insider owned 992 shares in the company, valued at $123,315.52. This trade represents a 28.74% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. 4.57% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Stifel Financial

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Advisory Services Network LLC purchased a new position in shares of Stifel Financial in the 3rd quarter valued at $29,000. Activest Wealth Management increased its holdings in Stifel Financial by 12,000.0% in the 4th quarter. Activest Wealth Management now owns 242 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 240 shares in the last quarter. Pinnacle Holdings LLC purchased a new position in Stifel Financial in the third quarter valued at about $32,000. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Stifel Financial by 2,383.3% during the third quarter. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. now owns 298 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $34,000 after purchasing an additional 286 shares in the last quarter. Finally, HM Payson & Co. acquired a new position in shares of Stifel Financial during the third quarter worth about $37,000. 82.01% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Stifel Financial Stock Up 0.2%

Shares of NYSE:SF opened at $118.95 on Tuesday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.79, a current ratio of 0.84 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.28. The company has a market capitalization of $12.11 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.23 and a beta of 1.13. Stifel Financial has a 52-week low of $73.27 and a 52-week high of $134.74. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $127.62 and its 200-day simple moving average is $119.85.

Stifel Financial shares are going to split on the morning of Friday, February 27th. The 3-2 split was announced on Tuesday, January 27th. The newly issued shares will be issued to shareholders after the closing bell on Thursday, February 26th.

Stifel Financial (NYSE:SF) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 28th. The financial services provider reported $2.63 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.48 by $0.15. Stifel Financial had a net margin of 12.37% and a return on equity of 15.80%. The business had revenue of $1.56 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.50 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $2.23 earnings per share. The company’s revenue was up 14.4% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Stifel Financial will post 8.26 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Stifel Financial Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 16th. Investors of record on Monday, March 2nd will be given a dividend of $0.51 per share. This represents a $2.04 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.7%. This is a positive change from Stifel Financial’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.46. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 2nd. Stifel Financial’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 31.29%.

Stifel Financial Company Profile

Stifel Financial Corp. is a diversified financial services holding company headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri. Founded in 1890, the firm has grown into a full‐service brokerage and investment banking organization serving individual investors, corporations and institutions. Through its principal subsidiary, Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated, the company delivers a broad array of financial products and services backed by research‐driven insights.

The firm’s main business activities are organized into two core segments: Private Client Group and Institutional Group.