First Financial Bankshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:FFIN) Receives Average Rating of “Moderate Buy” from Brokerages

First Financial Bankshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:FFIN) has received an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the five analysts that are covering the firm, Marketbeat.com reports. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, one has assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. The average 1-year price target among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $36.75.

A number of analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Cantor Fitzgerald reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and set a $35.00 target price (up from $34.00) on shares of First Financial Bankshares in a report on Wednesday, July 15th. Benchmark assumed coverage on shares of First Financial Bankshares in a research note on Wednesday, June 24th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $39.00 target price on the stock. Weiss Ratings raised shares of First Financial Bankshares from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a report on Monday. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reduced their price target on shares of First Financial Bankshares from $36.00 to $34.00 and set a “market perform” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, April 9th.

Insider Transactions at First Financial Bankshares

In other First Financial Bankshares news, Director Murray Hamilton Edwards bought 1,000 shares of First Financial Bankshares stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 11th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $33.18 per share, for a total transaction of $33,180.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 44,634 shares in the company, valued at $1,480,956.12. This represents a 2.29% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Corporate insiders own 3.80% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of First Financial Bankshares

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of FFIN. Royal Bank of Canada boosted its position in shares of First Financial Bankshares by 10.8% during the 1st quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 64,287 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $2,309,000 after acquiring an additional 6,290 shares during the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC increased its position in shares of First Financial Bankshares by 51.3% in the first quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 118,437 shares of the bank’s stock worth $4,228,000 after purchasing an additional 40,173 shares during the last quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. increased its position in shares of First Financial Bankshares by 4.6% in the first quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 77,474 shares of the bank’s stock worth $2,783,000 after purchasing an additional 3,382 shares during the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC purchased a new stake in First Financial Bankshares in the first quarter valued at approximately $1,760,000. Finally, UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC raised its stake in First Financial Bankshares by 17.6% in the first quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 396,513 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $14,243,000 after purchasing an additional 59,416 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 69.78% of the company’s stock.

First Financial Bankshares Stock Down 0.5%

FFIN stock opened at $34.50 on Friday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $33.58 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $32.29. First Financial Bankshares has a twelve month low of $28.11 and a twelve month high of $38.12. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.94 billion, a PE ratio of 18.45 and a beta of 0.81.

First Financial Bankshares (NASDAQ:FFIN) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 16th. The bank reported $0.50 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, hitting analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.50. First Financial Bankshares had a net margin of 31.03% and a return on equity of 14.00%. The firm had revenue of $172.76 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $173.03 million. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $0.47 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that First Financial Bankshares will post 2.04 EPS for the current fiscal year.

First Financial Bankshares Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, July 1st. Investors of record on Friday, June 12th were given a $0.22 dividend. This represents a $0.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.6%. This is a boost from First Financial Bankshares’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.19. The ex-dividend date was Friday, June 12th. First Financial Bankshares’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 47.06%.

About First Financial Bankshares

First Financial Bankshares, Inc is a regional bank holding company headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio. Through its primary subsidiary, First Financial Bank, the company offers a full suite of banking products and services to individual, small business and commercial clients. With roots dating back to 1863, First Financial has cultivated a strong community banking heritage, combining personalized service with modern financial solutions.

The company’s core business activities include commercial and consumer lending, deposit products, treasury management, mortgage origination and servicing, and wealth management.