AlphaCentric Advisors LLC Buys New Holdings in Saul Centers, Inc. (NYSE:BFS)

AlphaCentric Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Saul Centers, Inc. (NYSE:BFS) in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund bought 30,000 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock, valued at approximately $1,164,000. Saul Centers makes up approximately 1.2% of AlphaCentric Advisors LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 23rd largest holding. AlphaCentric Advisors LLC owned approximately 0.12% of Saul Centers at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Point72 Asia Singapore Pte. Ltd. increased its holdings in Saul Centers by 31.2% during the 3rd quarter. Point72 Asia Singapore Pte. Ltd. now owns 3,648 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $153,000 after purchasing an additional 868 shares in the last quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company bought a new stake in Saul Centers during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $202,000. SG Americas Securities LLC bought a new stake in Saul Centers during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $262,000. Everence Capital Management Inc. bought a new stake in Saul Centers during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $287,000. Finally, Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. bought a new stake in Saul Centers during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $288,000. 49.99% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Separately, StockNews.com lowered Saul Centers from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, December 18th.

Saul Centers Stock Performance

BFS stock opened at $36.36 on Monday. The firm has a market cap of $878.83 million, a PE ratio of 19.76 and a beta of 1.11. The company has a quick ratio of 1.13, a current ratio of 1.13 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.61. The business has a 50 day moving average of $37.82 and a 200-day moving average of $39.33. Saul Centers, Inc. has a 12-month low of $34.87 and a 12-month high of $42.39.

Saul Centers Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, January 31st. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, January 15th were issued a $0.59 dividend. This represents a $2.36 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 6.49%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, January 15th. Saul Centers’s dividend payout ratio is presently 128.26%.

Saul Centers Company Profile

Saul Centers is a self-managed, self-administered equity REIT headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland. Saul Centers currently operates and manages a real estate portfolio comprised of 61 properties that includes (a) 57 community and neighborhood Shopping Centers and Mixed-Use properties with approximately 9.8 million square feet of leasable area and (b) four land and development properties.