StockNews.com Downgrades Saul Centers (NYSE:BFS) to Hold

StockNews.com cut shares of Saul Centers (NYSE:BFS) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note issued to investors on Friday morning.

Separately, B. Riley upped their price target on shares of Saul Centers from $43.50 to $45.50 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, August 22nd.

Saul Centers Trading Up 2.0 %

Shares of Saul Centers stock opened at $41.83 on Friday. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $40.46 and its 200 day moving average is $38.60. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.01 billion, a PE ratio of 22.73 and a beta of 1.11. Saul Centers has a 1 year low of $34.49 and a 1 year high of $42.19. The company has a current ratio of 0.83, a quick ratio of 0.83 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.40.

Saul Centers Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, October 31st. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, October 15th were issued a dividend of $0.59 per share. This represents a $2.36 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.64%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, October 15th. Saul Centers’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 128.26%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. bought a new stake in Saul Centers during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $288,000. Quest Partners LLC grew its stake in shares of Saul Centers by 21.5% in the third quarter. Quest Partners LLC now owns 14,422 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $605,000 after purchasing an additional 2,556 shares during the last quarter. Sargent Investment Group LLC increased its holdings in Saul Centers by 315.0% in the third quarter. Sargent Investment Group LLC now owns 25,001 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $1,049,000 after purchasing an additional 18,976 shares during the period. GSA Capital Partners LLP raised its position in Saul Centers by 17.1% during the 3rd quarter. GSA Capital Partners LLP now owns 43,083 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $1,808,000 after purchasing an additional 6,301 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Los Angeles Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in Saul Centers by 149.6% during the 3rd quarter. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC now owns 40,512 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $1,700,000 after buying an additional 24,281 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 49.99% of the company’s stock.

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.