Bank Of Montreal (NYSE:BMO) Given Average Recommendation of “Hold” by Analysts

Bank Of Montreal (NYSE:BMO) (TSE:BMO) has been assigned a consensus rating of “Hold” from the thirteen analysts that are presently covering the stock, MarketBeat.com reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have issued a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company. The average 1 year price objective among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $163.00.

A number of brokerages have weighed in on BMO. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Bank Of Montreal from a “buy (b+)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a report on Friday, June 12th. Raymond James Financial reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of Bank Of Montreal in a report on Tuesday, May 12th. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a “hold” rating on shares of Bank Of Montreal in a report on Wednesday, February 25th. Barclays reiterated an “underweight” rating on shares of Bank Of Montreal in a report on Thursday, May 28th. Finally, Scotiabank reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of Bank Of Montreal in a report on Tuesday.

Bank Of Montreal Stock Up 0.2%

BMO stock opened at $169.82 on Thursday. The stock has a market capitalization of $118.94 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.03, a PEG ratio of 0.95 and a beta of 0.95. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11, a quick ratio of 1.02 and a current ratio of 1.02. Bank Of Montreal has a one year low of $104.08 and a one year high of $171.69. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $156.04 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $143.17.

Bank Of Montreal (NYSE:BMO) (TSE:BMO) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, May 27th. The bank reported $2.68 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.54 by $0.14. The firm had revenue of $7.04 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.98 billion. Bank Of Montreal had a net margin of 12.60% and a return on equity of 13.04%. Bank Of Montreal’s revenue for the quarter was up 10.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $2.62 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Bank Of Montreal will post 11.82 EPS for the current year.

Bank Of Montreal Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, August 26th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, July 30th will be issued a $1.71 dividend. This is a boost from Bank Of Montreal’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.67. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, July 30th. This represents a $6.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.0%. Bank Of Montreal’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 50.96%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Bank Of Montreal

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in BMO. WFA of San Diego LLC acquired a new position in shares of Bank Of Montreal in the 2nd quarter valued at $28,000. Annis Gardner Whiting Capital Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Bank Of Montreal during the 4th quarter valued at $29,000. Larson Financial Group LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Bank Of Montreal by 466.7% during the 3rd quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 238 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $31,000 after acquiring an additional 196 shares in the last quarter. Flagship Harbor Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Bank Of Montreal during the 4th quarter valued at $34,000. Finally, Western Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Bank Of Montreal during the 1st quarter valued at $38,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 45.82% of the company’s stock.

Bank Of Montreal Company Profile

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.