Enterprise Financial Services (NASDAQ:EFSC) Upgraded at Wall Street Zen

Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Enterprise Financial Services (NASDAQ:EFSC) from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research report sent to investors on Saturday morning,Wall Street Zen reports.

A number of other equities analysts have also commented on EFSC. Piper Sandler raised Enterprise Financial Services from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating and set a $64.00 price objective on the stock in a research note on Friday, October 23rd. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods boosted their target price on shares of Enterprise Financial Services from $70.00 to $72.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, July 24th. Stephens assumed coverage on Enterprise Financial Services in a research note on Friday, September 18th. They set an “equal weight” rating and a $70.00 target price for the company. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Enterprise Financial Services in a report on Tuesday, October 6th. Finally, Benchmark upgraded Enterprise Financial Services to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, September 23rd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have given a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Enterprise Financial Services currently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $69.20.

Enterprise Financial Services Stock Performance

NASDAQ EFSC opened at $63.13 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $2.28 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.68 and a beta of 0.82. Enterprise Financial Services has a twelve month low of $51.18 and a twelve month high of $68.73. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $61.50 and a 200 day simple moving average of $60.64. The company has a quick ratio of 0.85, a current ratio of 0.85 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35.

Enterprise Financial Services (NASDAQ:EFSC) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, October 21st. The bank reported $1.17 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.38 by ($0.21). The company had revenue of $192.53 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $193.09 million. Enterprise Financial Services had a net margin of 18.83% and a return on equity of 9.52%. Sell-side analysts expect that Enterprise Financial Services will post 5.09 EPS for the current year.

Enterprise Financial Services Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 31st. Investors of record on Tuesday, December 15th will be given a $0.36 dividend. This represents a $1.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, December 15th. This is a positive change from Enterprise Financial Services’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.35. Enterprise Financial Services’s dividend payout ratio is presently 28.11%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. GAMMA Investing LLC grew its stake in Enterprise Financial Services by 56.2% in the third quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 564 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $33,000 after acquiring an additional 203 shares during the period. Nykredit A S bought a new position in shares of Enterprise Financial Services in the 2nd quarter worth $39,000. Versant Capital Management Inc lifted its holdings in shares of Enterprise Financial Services by 66.3% in the 3rd quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 850 shares of the bank’s stock worth $50,000 after purchasing an additional 339 shares in the last quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. bought a new position in shares of Enterprise Financial Services in the 2nd quarter worth $60,000. Finally, Nisa Investment Advisors LLC grew its position in Enterprise Financial Services by 57.5% in the 3rd quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 1,216 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $72,000 after purchasing an additional 444 shares during the period. 72.21% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Enterprise Financial Services

Enterprise Financial Services Corp. is a financial holding company headquartered in Clayton, Missouri. Its principal subsidiary, Enterprise Bank & Trust, provides banking and financial services to businesses, professionals, institutions and individuals.

The company offers commercial and small-business lending, deposit accounts, treasury management, private banking, wealth management, trust and estate services, and other financial solutions. Its commercial banking capabilities include financing for working capital, equipment, real estate and business expansion.

Enterprise Bank & Trust serves customers through banking markets that include St.