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

Key Points

• Analyst consensus: Twelve analysts give Bank of Montreal an average rating of "Moderate Buy" (1 sell, 6 hold, 3 buy, 2 strong buy) with a mean 1‑year price target of $163.00.
• Quarterly beat: BMO reported EPS of $2.51 versus $2.35 expected and revenue of $7.21 billion versus $6.73 billion, with revenue up about 6% year‑over‑year.
• Dividend yield: The bank declared a quarterly dividend of $1.67 ($6.68 annualized), implying a ~4.9% yield, with an ex‑dividend date of April 29 and payout on May 26; DPR is ~56.6%.

Shares of Bank Of Montreal (NYSE:BMO - Get Free Report) TSE: BMO have been assigned an average rating of "Moderate Buy" from the twelve analysts that are covering the firm, MarketBeat reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, six have issued a hold recommendation, three have issued a buy recommendation and two have given a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 1 year price objective among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $163.00.

Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on the company. Wall Street Zen upgraded Bank Of Montreal from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Sunday, February 8th. Raymond James Financial raised Bank Of Montreal from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating in a research note on Friday, February 13th. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Bank Of Montreal from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Thursday, February 19th. Scotiabank reissued a "sector perform" rating on shares of Bank Of Montreal in a report on Friday, January 9th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a "hold" rating on shares of Bank Of Montreal in a research note on Wednesday, February 25th.

Institutional Trading of Bank Of Montreal

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in BMO. Purpose Unlimited Inc. bought a new position in Bank Of Montreal in the 4th quarter worth $39,094,000. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. increased its position in shares of Bank Of Montreal by 117.4% during the fourth quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. now owns 13,904 shares of the bank's stock valued at $1,805,000 after buying an additional 7,507 shares during the period. Fund Advisors of America Inc FL purchased a new position in shares of Bank Of Montreal during the fourth quarter valued at about $284,000. Bayban bought a new position in Bank Of Montreal in the fourth quarter worth about $382,000. Finally, Pure Financial Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Bank Of Montreal in the fourth quarter worth about $250,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 45.82% of the company's stock.

Bank Of Montreal Price Performance

BMO stock opened at $136.25 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $95.99 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.82, a P/E/G ratio of 0.88 and a beta of 0.92. The firm's fifty day moving average is $140.24 and its 200 day moving average is $132.50. Bank Of Montreal has a 52 week low of $85.40 and a 52 week high of $149.01. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11, a quick ratio of 1.02 and a current ratio of 1.02.

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

Bank Of Montreal Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, May 26th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, April 29th will be given a $1.67 dividend. This represents a $6.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.9%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, April 29th. Bank Of Montreal's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 56.56%.

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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