Brad Elliott Sells 12,272 Shares of Equity Bancshares (NYSE:EQBK) Stock

Equity Bancshares, Inc. (NYSE:EQBK) CEO Brad Elliott sold 12,272 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, July 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $51.03, for a total value of $626,240.16. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 55,313 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,822,622.39. The trade was a 18.16% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this link.

Equity Bancshares Stock Up 0.1%

Shares of Equity Bancshares stock opened at $50.78 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.93, a current ratio of 0.93 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55. The company has a market cap of $1.05 billion, a P/E ratio of 30.41 and a beta of 0.77. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $48.13 and its 200-day moving average price is $46.42. Equity Bancshares, Inc. has a 52-week low of $36.04 and a 52-week high of $51.73.

Equity Bancshares (NYSE:EQBK) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 14th. The company reported $1.41 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.24 by $0.17. Equity Bancshares had a return on equity of 13.67% and a net margin of 8.26%.The company had revenue of $81.93 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $85.10 million. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Equity Bancshares, Inc. will post 5.18 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Equity Bancshares Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, July 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, June 30th were issued a $0.18 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, June 30th. This represents a $0.72 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.4%. Equity Bancshares’s payout ratio is presently 43.11%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts have weighed in on the company. Stephens raised their price objective on Equity Bancshares from $58.00 to $59.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, July 16th. Piper Sandler reissued an “overweight” rating on shares of Equity Bancshares in a research note on Monday, June 22nd. Royal Bank Of Canada reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Equity Bancshares in a research note on Monday, June 22nd. Benchmark started coverage on Equity Bancshares in a research note on Wednesday, June 24th. They set a “buy” rating and a $57.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reissued a “market perform” rating on shares of Equity Bancshares in a research report on Monday, June 22nd. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have issued a Buy rating and five have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $54.17.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. First Trust Advisors LP lifted its position in Equity Bancshares by 0.6% during the first quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 48,621 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,159,000 after buying an additional 300 shares during the period. Russell Investments Group Ltd. grew its stake in Equity Bancshares by 0.7% during the fourth quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 51,640 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,306,000 after buying an additional 381 shares during the period. Intech Investment Management LLC boosted its position in Equity Bancshares by 5.6% during the 3rd quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC now owns 7,306 shares of the company’s stock worth $297,000 after purchasing an additional 388 shares during the period. Mariner LLC grew its stake in shares of Equity Bancshares by 5.4% in the fourth quarter. Mariner LLC now owns 9,516 shares of the company’s stock valued at $425,000 after buying an additional 486 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Osaic Holdings Inc. grew its position in Equity Bancshares by 282.0% in the second quarter. Osaic Holdings Inc. now owns 680 shares of the company’s stock valued at $28,000 after acquiring an additional 502 shares in the last quarter. 71.80% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Headlines Impacting Equity Bancshares

Here are the key news stories impacting Equity Bancshares this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Director Lisa Ann Schlehuber purchased 989 shares for approximately $50,419 at an average price of $50.98, increasing her direct ownership by nearly 90%. The purchase may be viewed as a vote of confidence in EQBK’s valuation and outlook. Equity Bancshares Director Purchases Stock
• Positive Sentiment: Equity Bancshares previously reported quarterly EPS of $1.41, exceeding the $1.24 analyst consensus. Analysts maintain a “Moderate Buy” consensus, with a target price of $54.17 and individual targets as high as $59, suggesting potential upside from recent levels.
• Positive Sentiment: Institutional ownership stands at approximately 71.8%, while several investment managers increased their EQBK positions during the first quarter. The company also pays a quarterly dividend of $0.18 per share, equivalent to a 1.4% annualized yield.
• Neutral Sentiment: The stock remains close to its 52-week high of $51.73 and has advanced above its 50-day average of $48.03 and 200-day average of $46.38. This reflects strong momentum but may also indicate that some positive expectations are already priced in.
• Negative Sentiment: CEO Brad S. Elliott sold 12,272 shares for approximately $626,240, reducing his holdings by 18.16%. COO Julie A. Huber also sold a combined 7,500 shares for roughly $383,029, cutting her position by 11.3%. The sizable executive sales could weigh on sentiment, although insider transactions may reflect personal financial planning rather than a change in business outlook.
• Negative Sentiment: While EPS beat expectations, quarterly revenue of $81.93 million fell short of the $85.10 million consensus estimate, highlighting a potential weakness in top-line performance.

Equity Bancshares Company Profile

Equity Bancshares, Inc is the bank holding company for Equity Bank, a regional financial services provider headquartered in Wichita, Kansas. As a publicly traded company on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker EQBK, Equity Bancshares operates a network of branches and lending offices across Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Illinois and Colorado. Its geographic footprint spans both urban and rural markets, reflecting a focus on supporting small businesses, agricultural enterprises and individual consumers throughout the Midwest.

The company’s core business activities encompass a full spectrum of commercial and consumer banking services.