Bank OZK (NASDAQ:OZK) Given Consensus Recommendation of "Hold" by Brokerages

Key Points

• Consensus "Hold": Eleven brokerages covering Bank OZK have a consensus rating of Hold (1 sell, 5 hold, 5 buy) with an average 12‑month price target of $56.89.
• Q1 results showed a modest EPS miss ($1.44 vs. $1.46 estimate) while revenue of $424.3M was slightly above expectations, and the bank pays a $0.47 quarterly dividend (annualized yield ~3.8%, payout ratio 30.6%).
• Institutional investors own ~86.2% of the stock; market cap is about $5.5B, shares trade near $49 with a 1‑year range of $42.37–$53.66 and a P/E of 8.0.

Bank OZK (NASDAQ:OZK - Get Free Report) has been assigned a consensus recommendation of "Hold" from the eleven brokerages that are currently covering the company, MarketBeat Ratings reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have issued a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company. The average 12 month price objective among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $56.8889.

OZK has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. UBS Group assumed coverage on Bank OZK in a research report on Tuesday, April 7th. They set a "neutral" rating and a $48.00 target price on the stock. Weiss Ratings upgraded Bank OZK from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "buy (b)" rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 21st. Stephens dropped their price target on Bank OZK from $64.00 to $62.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on Bank OZK from $48.00 to $50.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Monday, March 30th. Finally, Zacks Research upgraded Bank OZK from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 7th.

Institutional Trading of Bank OZK

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd acquired a new position in Bank OZK during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $1,301,000. Allianz Asset Management GmbH acquired a new position in Bank OZK during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $2,026,000. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased its position in Bank OZK by 21.8% during the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 285,876 shares of the company's stock worth $14,574,000 after purchasing an additional 51,171 shares during the period. Villanova Investment Management Co LLC increased its position in Bank OZK by 37.1% during the 3rd quarter. Villanova Investment Management Co LLC now owns 125,780 shares of the company's stock worth $6,412,000 after purchasing an additional 34,049 shares during the period. Finally, Hussman Strategic Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in Bank OZK during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $2,141,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 86.18% of the company's stock.

Bank OZK Trading Up 1.3%

Shares of NASDAQ:OZK opened at $49.13 on Thursday. The business's 50-day moving average is $46.58 and its 200 day moving average is $46.79. Bank OZK has a 1 year low of $42.37 and a 1 year high of $53.66. The firm has a market capitalization of $5.50 billion, a P/E ratio of 8.00 and a beta of 0.91. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.14, a current ratio of 1.00 and a quick ratio of 1.02.

Bank OZK (NASDAQ:OZK - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, April 21st. The company reported $1.44 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.46 by ($0.02). Bank OZK had a net margin of 25.27% and a return on equity of 12.32%. The business had revenue of $424.32 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $422.62 million. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $1.47 earnings per share. The company's quarterly revenue was up 2.2% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts predict that Bank OZK will post 6.03 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Bank OZK Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, April 20th. Shareholders of record on Monday, April 13th were paid a dividend of $0.47 per share. This represents a $1.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.8%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, April 13th. Bank OZK's payout ratio is presently 30.62%.

Bank OZK Company Profile

Bank OZK, formerly known as Bank of the Ozarks, is a regional commercial bank headquartered in Little Rock, Arkansas. Established in 1903, the bank offers a full suite of banking products and services to both individual and corporate clients. Through a combination of organic growth and targeted acquisitions, Bank OZK has built a diversified lending portfolio and a strong deposit franchise.

The bank's core operations focus on commercial real estate lending, including acquisition, development and construction financing.

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