Bread Financial (NYSE:BFH) Stock Rating Upgraded by Wall Street Zen

Key Points

• Wall Street Zen upgraded Bread Financial to “buy” from “hold,” adding to a generally positive analyst outlook. MarketBeat reports a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating and an average price target of $112.29.
• Bread Financial shares opened at $103.06, with a market capitalization of approximately $3.96 billion and a 52-week range of $53.83 to $114.53.
• The company’s latest quarterly results exceeded expectations, with adjusted earnings of $3.55 per share versus the $2.74 consensus estimate and revenue of $993 million, up 6.9% year over year.

Bread Financial (NYSE:BFH - Get Free Report) was upgraded by equities researchers at Wall Street Zen from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report released on Sunday, Wall Street Zen reports.

A number of other analysts have also weighed in on the stock. Zacks Research raised shares of Bread Financial from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Monday, August 31st. Morgan Stanley set a $107.00 price target on Bread Financial in a report on Friday, July 24th. Weiss Ratings restated a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Bread Financial in a report on Friday, July 24th. Bank of America reaffirmed a "buy" rating and issued a $108.00 price objective on shares of Bread Financial in a research report on Wednesday, June 10th. Finally, BTIG Research lifted their target price on Bread Financial from $105.00 to $132.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 30th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have given a Buy rating, six have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $112.29.

Bread Financial Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE BFH opened at $103.06 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $3.96 billion, a PE ratio of 8.04, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.64 and a beta of 1.10. Bread Financial has a 1 year low of $53.83 and a 1 year high of $114.53. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $107.16 and a 200-day moving average price of $94.82. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.25, a current ratio of 1.17 and a quick ratio of 1.17.

Bread Financial (NYSE:BFH - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 23rd. The company reported $3.55 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.74 by $0.81. The company had revenue of $993.00 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $959.32 million. Bread Financial had a return on equity of 18.42% and a net margin of 11.95%.The firm's revenue was up 6.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $3.15 EPS. Equities analysts anticipate that Bread Financial will post 12.22 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Bread Financial

In other Bread Financial news, Director Praniti Lakhwara sold 2,802 shares of Bread Financial stock in a transaction on Tuesday, July 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $106.12, for a total value of $297,348.24. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 4,458 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $473,082.96. The trade was a 38.60% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 1.30% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Bread Financial

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. QRG Capital Management Inc. boosted its holdings in Bread Financial by 10.1% during the second quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc. now owns 4,127 shares of the company's stock worth $447,000 after buying an additional 380 shares in the last quarter. Engineers Gate Manager LP grew its stake in Bread Financial by 238.9% during the 2nd quarter. Engineers Gate Manager LP now owns 25,470 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,760,000 after acquiring an additional 17,955 shares in the last quarter. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Bread Financial in the 2nd quarter worth $128,000. IFP Advisors Inc increased its position in Bread Financial by 125.8% during the second quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 490 shares of the company's stock worth $53,000 after purchasing an additional 273 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Allworth Financial LP raised its position in shares of Bread Financial by 27.2% during the 2nd quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 679 shares of the company's stock valued at $74,000 after buying an additional 145 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 99.52% of the company's stock.

Bread Financial Company Profile

Bread Financial Corporation NYSE: BFH is a financial services company that provides payment, lending and savings solutions for consumers and businesses. Its offerings include private-label and co-branded credit cards, installment loans, buy now, pay later financing and direct-to-consumer savings products.

The company works with retailers and brands to design and manage customized credit programs, including account servicing, underwriting, transaction processing and customer engagement services.

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