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

Shares of First Financial Bankshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:FFIN) have been given a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” by the five ratings firms that are currently covering the firm, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation, two have assigned a buy recommendation and one has given a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 1-year target price among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $36.75.

Several equities analysts have recently commented on FFIN shares. Weiss Ratings raised First Financial Bankshares from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Monday, August 3rd. Cantor Fitzgerald reissued a “neutral” rating and set a $35.00 price target (up from $34.00) on shares of First Financial Bankshares in a report on Wednesday, July 15th. Finally, Benchmark initiated coverage on First Financial Bankshares in a research note on Wednesday, June 24th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $39.00 price target for the company.

First Financial Bankshares Stock Performance

Shares of FFIN opened at $34.95 on Thursday. The firm has a market cap of $5.01 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.69 and a beta of 0.81. First Financial Bankshares has a 52 week low of $28.11 and a 52 week high of $38.12. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $34.36 and its 200 day simple moving average is $32.57.

First Financial Bankshares (NASDAQ:FFIN) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Friday, July 17th. The bank reported $0.50 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate 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 during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $173.03 million. During the same period last year, the business posted $0.47 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts forecast that First Financial Bankshares will post 2.04 earnings per share for the current year.

First Financial Bankshares Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 1st. Stockholders of record on Monday, September 14th will be issued a dividend of $0.22 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, September 14th. This represents a $0.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.5%. First Financial Bankshares’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 47.06%.

Insider Activity

In other First Financial Bankshares news, Director Murray Hamilton Edwards bought 1,000 shares of First Financial Bankshares stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 11th. The stock was bought at an average price of $33.18 per share, with a total value of $33,180.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 44,634 shares in the company, valued at $1,480,956.12. The trade was a 2.29% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Insiders own 3.80% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of First Financial Bankshares

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of FFIN. Quarry LP grew its position in shares of First Financial Bankshares by 66.3% during the 3rd quarter. Quarry LP now owns 1,026 shares of the bank’s stock worth $35,000 after purchasing an additional 409 shares in the last quarter. Danske Bank A S increased its holdings in shares of First Financial Bankshares by 200.0% during the fourth quarter. Danske Bank A S now owns 1,200 shares of the bank’s stock worth $36,000 after purchasing an additional 800 shares during the period. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of First Financial Bankshares in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $44,000. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC acquired a new stake in shares of First Financial Bankshares in the third quarter valued at approximately $50,000. Finally, State of Wyoming bought a new stake in shares of First Financial Bankshares in the second quarter valued at approximately $54,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 69.78% of the company’s stock.

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.