Bank Of Montreal (NYSE:BMO) Receives Average Rating of "Moderate Buy" from Analysts

Key Points

• Analysts have a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" on Bank of Montreal from 12 firms (7 hold, 3 buy, 2 strong buy) with an average 12‑month price target of $163.00.
• BMO beat quarterly expectations, reporting EPS of $2.51 versus $2.35 estimated and revenue of $7.21B versus $6.73B, with a 6.0% year‑over‑year revenue increase and a return on equity of 12.16%.
• The bank declared a quarterly dividend of $1.67 (annualized $6.68) implying a 4.7% yield; record date is April 29 and the payment date is May 26.

Bank Of Montreal (NYSE:BMO - Get Free Report) TSE: BMO has earned a consensus recommendation of "Moderate Buy" from the twelve ratings firms that are presently covering the firm, Marketbeat.com reports. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, three have issued a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company. The average 12 month price objective among analysts that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $163.00.

Several research firms have weighed in on BMO. TD Securities upgraded shares of Bank Of Montreal from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 27th. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Bank Of Montreal from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Thursday, February 19th. Raymond James Financial upgraded Bank Of Montreal from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating in a report on Friday, February 13th. Weiss Ratings reissued a "buy (b-)" rating on shares of Bank Of Montreal in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Finally, National Bank Financial reaffirmed a "sector perform" rating on shares of Bank Of Montreal in a research report on Wednesday, February 25th.

Bank Of Montreal Stock Down 0.1%

Shares of Bank Of Montreal stock opened at $141.97 on Tuesday. The company has a current ratio of 1.02, a quick ratio of 1.02 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11. Bank Of Montreal has a 1 year low of $85.40 and a 1 year high of $149.01. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $139.07 and a 200 day moving average price of $130.75. The company has a market cap of $100.26 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.49, a P/E/G ratio of 0.98 and a beta of 0.92.

Bank Of Montreal (NYSE:BMO - Get Free Report) TSE: BMO last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, February 25th. The bank reported $2.51 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.35 by $0.16. The company had revenue of $7.21 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.73 billion. Bank Of Montreal had a return on equity of 12.16% and a net margin of 11.76%.The firm's quarterly revenue was up 6.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $3.04 EPS. As a group, analysts expect that Bank Of Montreal will post 7.71 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Bank Of Montreal Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, May 26th. Investors of record on Wednesday, April 29th will be given a dividend of $1.67 per share. This represents a $6.68 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, April 29th. Bank Of Montreal's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 56.56%.

Institutional Trading of Bank Of Montreal

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Code Waechter LLC lifted its stake in shares of Bank Of Montreal by 1.7% in the 4th quarter. Code Waechter LLC now owns 4,486 shares of the bank's stock valued at $582,000 after purchasing an additional 75 shares during the last quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC increased its position in Bank Of Montreal by 33.2% during the fourth quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 317 shares of the bank's stock worth $41,000 after buying an additional 79 shares during the last quarter. Naples Global Advisors LLC raised its holdings in Bank Of Montreal by 0.5% during the fourth quarter. Naples Global Advisors LLC now owns 17,780 shares of the bank's stock valued at $2,308,000 after buying an additional 80 shares in the last quarter. Allworth Financial LP lifted its position in shares of Bank Of Montreal by 4.6% in the third quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 2,121 shares of the bank's stock worth $276,000 after buying an additional 94 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Choreo LLC lifted its position in shares of Bank Of Montreal by 3.6% in the third quarter. Choreo LLC now owns 2,735 shares of the bank's stock worth $356,000 after buying an additional 95 shares during the last quarter. 45.82% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Bank Of Montreal Company Profile

Bank of Montreal NYSE: BMO, commonly known as BMO Financial Group, is one of Canada's largest and longest-established banks. Founded in Montreal and headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, the bank provides a broad range of financial services to retail, commercial, corporate and institutional clients. BMO is publicly listed in both Canada and the United States and operates under a consolidated financial services model that integrates banking, capital markets, wealth management and asset management activities.

BMO's core businesses include personal and commercial banking—offering checking and savings accounts, lending, mortgages, and small-business services—alongside wealth management and private banking through its asset and investment management divisions.

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