Simmons First National (NASDAQ:SFNC) Sees Large Volume Increase – Still a Buy?

Simmons First National Corporation (NASDAQ:SFNC) shares saw strong trading volume on Friday . Approximately 1,281,609 shares were traded during mid-day trading, an increase of 1% from the previous session’s volume of 1,272,030 shares.The stock last traded at $23.2630 and had previously closed at $23.25.

More Simmons First National News

Here are the key news stories impacting Simmons First National this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Adjusted diluted EPS came in at $0.50 and adjusted net income improved, with strong adjusted ROAA of 1.17% and adjusted ROTCE of 14.37%, suggesting solid underlying profitability. Simmons First National Corporation Reports Second Quarter Results
• Positive Sentiment: Credit quality remained stable, with a low 0.20% net charge-off ratio and provision expense exceeding net charge-offs, which can be viewed as a sign of manageable loan losses. Simmons First National Corporation Reports Second Quarter Results
• Neutral Sentiment: Net interest margin was unchanged at 3.84%, deposits declined sequentially, and the company continued repurchasing shares and paying a dividend, indicating a steady but not accelerating operating backdrop. Simmons First National Corporation Reports Second Quarter Results
• Negative Sentiment: Reported EPS of $0.46 and revenue of $248.6 million fell short of analyst expectations, which is the main reason investors may be selling the stock despite year-over-year revenue growth. Listen to Conference Call

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts recently issued reports on SFNC shares. DA Davidson restated a “neutral” rating and issued a $21.00 price target on shares of Simmons First National in a research report on Friday, April 17th. National Bank Financial set a $24.00 target price on Simmons First National in a research note on Monday, June 29th. Weiss Ratings raised Simmons First National from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a report on Friday, April 24th. Morgan Stanley restated a “positive” rating on shares of Simmons First National in a research note on Monday, June 29th. Finally, Zacks Research downgraded Simmons First National from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, March 26th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have issued a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Simmons First National currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $23.00.

Simmons First National Stock Down 0.2%

The stock has a market capitalization of $3.36 billion, a PE ratio of -9.06 and a beta of 0.90. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $21.94 and its 200-day moving average is $20.78. The company has a quick ratio of 0.90, a current ratio of 0.90 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22.

Simmons First National (NASDAQ:SFNC) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 16th. The bank reported $0.50 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.53 by ($0.03). Simmons First National had a negative net margin of 25.44% and a positive return on equity of 7.81%. The business had revenue of $248.57 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $250.98 million. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $0.44 EPS. Simmons First National’s revenue for the quarter was up 16.1% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts predict that Simmons First National Corporation will post 2.08 earnings per share for the current year.

Simmons First National Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, July 1st. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 15th were issued a $0.215 dividend. This represents a $0.86 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, June 15th. Simmons First National’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently -33.59%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. GAMMA Investing LLC raised its position in Simmons First National by 6.2% in the second quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 15,392 shares of the bank’s stock worth $349,000 after acquiring an additional 892 shares in the last quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc lifted its holdings in Simmons First National by 121.6% in the second quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 4,352 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $99,000 after acquiring an additional 2,388 shares during the period. NewEdge Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Simmons First National by 137.6% during the 1st quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 45,329 shares of the bank’s stock worth $882,000 after purchasing an additional 26,250 shares in the last quarter. Carlson Capital L.P. boosted its position in shares of Simmons First National by 191.2% during the 1st quarter. Carlson Capital L.P. now owns 78,624 shares of the bank’s stock worth $1,529,000 after purchasing an additional 51,624 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Bank of America Corp DE grew its stake in shares of Simmons First National by 24.7% during the 1st quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 624,613 shares of the bank’s stock worth $12,149,000 after purchasing an additional 123,732 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 27.58% of the company’s stock.

Simmons First National Company Profile

Simmons First National Corporation (NASDAQ:SFNC) is a bank holding company headquartered in Pine Bluff, Arkansas. Through its primary operating subsidiary, Simmons Bank, the company maintains a network of more than 200 branches across Arkansas, Tennessee, Missouri, Mississippi, Texas, Oklahoma and North Carolina. Simmons First National offers a full suite of financial services to individuals, small businesses and commercial clients, emphasizing relationship-driven community banking.

The company’s core business activities span deposit-taking, lending and payment services.