Regional Management (NYSE:RM) Stock Rating Raised to "Buy" at Wall Street Zen

Key Points

• Wall Street Zen upgraded Regional Management from “Hold” to “Buy.” Other analysts remain generally positive, giving the stock a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and a $43.00 target price.
• Regional Management reported quarterly EPS of $0.85, exceeding the $0.81 consensus estimate, while revenue of $168.01 million also surpassed expectations.
• The stock opened at $33.52, with a market capitalization of approximately $309.4 million and a price-to-earnings ratio of 7.06. CEO Lakhbir Lamba also purchased 6,500 shares, while institutional investors own nearly 99% of the company.

Regional Management (NYSE:RM - Get Free Report) was upgraded by equities researchers at Wall Street Zen from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report issued on Monday, Wall Street Zen reports.

A number of other equities analysts have also recently issued reports on RM. Citigroup reaffirmed a "market outperform" rating on shares of Regional Management in a research note on Thursday, July 30th. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Regional Management from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a report on Thursday. Finally, Citizens Jmp dropped their target price on shares of Regional Management from $45.00 to $43.00 and set a "market outperform" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Regional Management presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $43.00.

Regional Management Stock Performance

Regional Management stock opened at $33.52 on Monday. The company has a current ratio of 64.04, a quick ratio of 64.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.41. Regional Management has a 1 year low of $29.89 and a 1 year high of $44.29. The company has a market cap of $309.44 million, a PE ratio of 7.06 and a beta of 1.02. The company's 50-day moving average is $32.57 and its two-hundred day moving average is $35.78.

Regional Management (NYSE:RM - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The credit services provider reported $0.85 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.81 by $0.04. The company had revenue of $168.01 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $165.69 million. Regional Management had a net margin of 6.98% and a return on equity of 12.49%.

Insider Transactions at Regional Management

In related news, CEO Lakhbir Lamba bought 6,500 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 11th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $31.59 per share, for a total transaction of $205,335.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 52,234 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,650,072.06. This represents a 14.21% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, major shareholder Fund L.P. Forager sold 10,401 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, September 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $32.22, for a total value of $335,120.22. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 919,136 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $29,614,561.92. This trade represents a 1.12% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 29,522 shares of company stock worth $951,877. Company insiders own 10.90% of the company's stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of RM. GAMMA Investing LLC increased its position in shares of Regional Management by 183.8% in the 3rd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 931 shares of the credit services provider's stock valued at $28,000 after buying an additional 603 shares in the last quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc raised its stake in Regional Management by 140.7% during the 3rd quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 1,663 shares of the credit services provider's stock worth $50,000 after buying an additional 972 shares during the period. Susquehanna Fundamental Investments LLC acquired a new stake in Regional Management during the 2nd quarter worth $266,000. Empowered Funds LLC bought a new position in Regional Management during the second quarter worth about $2,691,000. Finally, Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio bought a new position in Regional Management during the second quarter worth about $327,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 98.89% of the company's stock.

Regional Management Company Profile

Regional Management Corp. NYSE: RM is a consumer finance company that provides personal installment loans to individuals who may have limited access to traditional bank credit. The company primarily serves non-prime borrowers through a combination of branch-based and online lending channels.

Its products generally include secured and unsecured consumer loans, along with optional insurance and other ancillary offerings. Regional Management evaluates borrowers based on their individual financial circumstances and provides loan services designed to meet personal, household and other consumer needs.

Founded in 1987 and headquartered in Greer, South Carolina, the company operates through a network of branches serving customers across several southeastern and southern U.S.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.