Great Southern Bancorp (NASDAQ:GSBC) Given New $74.00 Price Target at Keefe, Bruyette & Woods

Great Southern Bancorp (NASDAQ:GSBC) had its price objective increased by Keefe, Bruyette & Woods from $72.00 to $74.00 in a research note issued to investors on Friday morning,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has a market perform rating on the financial services provider’s stock.

Several other research firms have also commented on GSBC. Zacks Research lowered shares of Great Southern Bancorp from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, June 16th. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Great Southern Bancorp from a “buy (b)” rating to a “buy (b+)” rating in a report on Thursday, July 9th. Finally, Wall Street Zen downgraded Great Southern Bancorp from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Saturday, May 9th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $74.00.

Great Southern Bancorp Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ GSBC opened at $78.25 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 0.93, a quick ratio of 0.93 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.04. The company has a market capitalization of $852.14 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.00 and a beta of 0.49. Great Southern Bancorp has a twelve month low of $53.76 and a twelve month high of $82.40. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $74.19 and a 200-day simple moving average of $67.46.

Great Southern Bancorp (NASDAQ:GSBC) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 15th. The financial services provider reported $1.57 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.38 by $0.19. Great Southern Bancorp had a return on equity of 10.86% and a net margin of 20.72%.The firm had revenue of $56.87 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $55.26 million. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Great Southern Bancorp will post 5.84 earnings per share for the current year.

Great Southern Bancorp Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, July 14th. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 29th were issued a dividend of $0.43 per share. This represents a $1.72 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, June 29th. Great Southern Bancorp’s dividend payout ratio is currently 28.57%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, VP Mark A. Maples sold 2,387 shares of Great Southern Bancorp stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $68.95, for a total value of $164,583.65. Following the transaction, the vice president owned 1,187 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $81,843.65. This trade represents a 66.79% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, VP Kevin L. Baker sold 2,800 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $69.96, for a total value of $195,888.00. Following the sale, the vice president owned 14 shares in the company, valued at approximately $979.44. The trade was a 99.50% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 13,687 shares of company stock worth $938,407. Company insiders own 29.75% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Great Southern Bancorp

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Russell Investments Group Ltd. raised its position in Great Southern Bancorp by 1,301.8% during the third quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 771 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $47,000 after buying an additional 716 shares during the period. Sarver Vrooman Wealth Advisors purchased a new position in shares of Great Southern Bancorp during the 4th quarter valued at $77,000. Royal Bank of Canada grew its holdings in shares of Great Southern Bancorp by 24.8% during the 1st quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 1,309 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $83,000 after acquiring an additional 260 shares in the last quarter. Quadrant Capital Group LLC acquired a new position in shares of Great Southern Bancorp in the third quarter worth $128,000. Finally, R Squared Ltd acquired a new position in shares of Great Southern Bancorp in the fourth quarter worth $203,000. 41.66% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Great Southern Bancorp Company Profile

Great Southern Bancorp, Inc (NASDAQ: GSBC) is the bank holding company for Great Southern Bank, a full-service commercial bank headquartered in Springfield, Missouri. Through its subsidiary, the company provides a broad spectrum of financial products and services designed to meet the needs of individuals, small and mid-sized businesses, and professional clients across its regional footprint.

Great Southern Bank’s core business activities include deposit-taking, lending and treasury management.