Saul Centers (NYSE:BFS) Hits New 52-Week Low – Here’s Why

Saul Centers, Inc. (NYSE:BFS)’s stock price reached a new 52-week low on Wednesday. The stock traded as low as $28.56 and last traded at $28.6650, with a volume of 38,072 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $29.09.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, Weiss Ratings lowered Saul Centers from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a report on Thursday, October 8th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Hold rating. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Hold”.

Saul Centers Stock Performance

The company has a current ratio of 1.62, a quick ratio of 1.62 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.64. The firm has a market cap of $719.85 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.02 and a beta of 0.91. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $30.79 and its 200 day moving average is $33.53.

Saul Centers (NYSE:BFS) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 6th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.24 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.14 by $0.10. Saul Centers had a return on equity of 11.97% and a net margin of 11.54%. The business had revenue of $72.80 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $78.98 million.

Saul Centers Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, October 30th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, October 15th will be issued a $0.59 dividend. This represents a $2.36 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 8.1%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, October 15th. Saul Centers’s dividend payout ratio is currently 243.30%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Saul Centers

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. BlackRock Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Saul Centers in the second quarter worth approximately $84,302,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp acquired a new stake in Saul Centers during the 2nd quarter valued at $4,510,000. State Street Corp grew its stake in shares of Saul Centers by 9.9% in the second quarter. State Street Corp now owns 570,914 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $21,346,000 after acquiring an additional 51,504 shares in the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE acquired a new stake in Saul Centers during the second quarter worth about $1,091,000. Finally, GSA Capital Partners LLP bought a new stake in shares of Saul Centers during the second quarter worth $742,000. 49.99% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Saul Centers Company Profile

Saul Centers, Inc (NYSE: BFS) is a self-managed real estate investment trust that owns, operates, manages and develops income-producing commercial real estate. The company’s portfolio is primarily composed of neighborhood and community shopping centers, along with mixed-use properties that combine retail, office and other commercial space.

Saul Centers’ shopping centers are generally anchored by grocery stores, supermarkets, drugstores and other service-oriented retailers. Its properties are designed to serve local communities and typically include a range of tenants such as restaurants, personal-service businesses and specialty retailers.

Founded in 1993 and headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, Saul Centers focuses primarily on the Mid-Atlantic region, particularly the Washington, DC, metropolitan area and surrounding parts of Maryland and Virginia.