Citizens (NYSE:CIA) Releases Earnings Results, Beats Expectations By $0.03 EPS

Key Points

• EPS beat: Citizens reported quarterly EPS of $0.11, beating the consensus by $0.03, and revenue of $72.07 million versus $67.89 million; net margin was 4.40% and return on equity 6.54%.
• Shares dipped to $4.71 in mid-day trading after the release; the stock has a market cap of $236.63 million, a P/E of 22.43, and a one-year range of $2.90 to $6.40 (50- and 200-day SMAs both $5.49).
• Analyst and institutional picture: Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a Hold, the consensus rating is Hold, and institutional ownership is about 13.73% with several funds (including Bank of America and BNP Paribas) recently increasing stakes.

Citizens (NYSE:CIA - Get Free Report) posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday. The insurance provider reported $0.11 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.08 by $0.03, Zacks reports. Citizens had a net margin of 4.40% and a return on equity of 6.54%. The firm had revenue of $72.07 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $67.89 million.

Citizens Price Performance

Shares of NYSE CIA traded down $0.19 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $4.71. The company's stock had a trading volume of 111,888 shares, compared to its average volume of 101,772. Citizens has a one year low of $2.90 and a one year high of $6.40. The company's fifty day simple moving average is $5.49 and its 200-day simple moving average is $5.49. The stock has a market cap of $236.63 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.43 and a beta of 0.43.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Separately, Weiss Ratings reissued a "hold (c)" rating on shares of Citizens in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Hold rating, Based on data from MarketBeat, Citizens presently has an average rating of "Hold".

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Citizens

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of CIA. Bank of America Corp DE grew its holdings in Citizens by 3,686.7% during the 2nd quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 14,541 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $51,000 after acquiring an additional 14,157 shares during the period. BNP Paribas Financial Markets lifted its stake in shares of Citizens by 92.1% in the 3rd quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 10,724 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $56,000 after purchasing an additional 5,141 shares during the period. Alliancebernstein L.P. bought a new position in shares of Citizens in the 3rd quarter worth $57,000. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company acquired a new stake in shares of Citizens during the second quarter worth $63,000. Finally, Brandywine Global Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Citizens during the fourth quarter worth $84,000. 13.73% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Citizens

Citizens, Inc NYSE: CIA is a bank holding company headquartered in Conway, Arkansas. Through its wholly owned subsidiary, Citizens Bank of Northern Arkansas, the company provides commercial and consumer banking services to individuals, small businesses and corporate clients across Northern and Central Arkansas.

Citizens offers a range of deposit products, including checking accounts, savings accounts and certificates of deposit, alongside lending solutions such as residential mortgages, commercial real estate loans and consumer installment loans.

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