Community Financial System, Inc. (NYSE:CBU) Given Consensus Recommendation of "Hold" by Analysts

Key Points

• Analysts' consensus: "Hold" — Five analysts rate CBU an average "Hold" (four holds, one buy) with a 12‑month average target of $66.67; recent moves include Weiss upgrading to Buy and DA Davidson initiating coverage with a $72 target.
• Recent results and payout — Q1 EPS was $1.12 (missed by $0.01) with revenue up 9.8% y/y to $215.6M; the stock trades at a ~15.6 PE and pays a quarterly dividend of $0.47 (annualized yield ~3.0%, payout ratio ~47%).

Shares of Community Financial System, Inc. (NYSE:CBU - Get Free Report) have earned an average rating of "Hold" from the five ratings firms that are presently covering the firm, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and one has given a buy recommendation to the company. The average twelve-month target price among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $66.6667.

A number of research firms have recently commented on CBU. Weiss Ratings upgraded Community Financial System from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 7th. Janney Montgomery Scott lowered Community Financial System from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 13th. Wall Street Zen upgraded Community Financial System from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday, March 21st. Finally, DA Davidson assumed coverage on Community Financial System in a research note on Wednesday, February 25th. They set a "neutral" rating and a $72.00 price target on the stock.

Community Financial System Trading Down 0.3%

Community Financial System stock opened at $61.81 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.23, a quick ratio of 0.76 and a current ratio of 0.76. The business's 50-day simple moving average is $61.03 and its 200-day simple moving average is $59.50. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.25 billion, a PE ratio of 15.57 and a beta of 0.77. Community Financial System has a 52 week low of $51.12 and a 52 week high of $67.50.

Community Financial System (NYSE:CBU - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, January 27th. The bank reported $1.12 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $1.13 by ($0.01). The business had revenue of $215.56 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $212.85 million. Community Financial System had a return on equity of 11.09% and a net margin of 20.82%.The company's revenue for the quarter was up 9.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $0.94 earnings per share. Equities research analysts forecast that Community Financial System will post 4.18 earnings per share for the current year.

Community Financial System Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, April 10th. Investors of record on Monday, March 16th were paid a dividend of $0.47 per share. This represents a $1.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.0%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 16th. Community Financial System's payout ratio is currently 47.36%.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director John F. Whipple sold 4,246 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $65.17, for a total transaction of $276,711.82. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 8,506 shares in the company, valued at $554,336.02. The trade was a 33.30% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, Director Eric Stickels sold 2,000 shares of Community Financial System stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $64.75, for a total value of $129,500.00. Following the sale, the director directly owned 33,342 shares in the company, valued at $2,158,894.50. The trade was a 5.66% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders own 1.15% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Community Financial System

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. IFP Advisors Inc boosted its holdings in Community Financial System by 507.0% during the fourth quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 522 shares of the bank's stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 436 shares in the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Community Financial System by 177.0% during the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 781 shares of the bank's stock valued at $44,000 after purchasing an additional 499 shares in the last quarter. CWM LLC boosted its holdings in Community Financial System by 56.1% during the third quarter. CWM LLC now owns 899 shares of the bank's stock valued at $53,000 after purchasing an additional 323 shares in the last quarter. Lipe & Dalton acquired a new stake in Community Financial System during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $52,000. Finally, Smartleaf Asset Management LLC boosted its holdings in Community Financial System by 14.9% during the third quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 1,456 shares of the bank's stock valued at $86,000 after purchasing an additional 189 shares in the last quarter. 73.79% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Community Financial System

Community Financial System NYSE: CBU is the bank holding company for Community Bank, National Association, a full-service commercial bank headquartered in DeWitt, New York. Through its principal subsidiary, the company offers a range of banking and financial services designed to meet the needs of both consumer and business clients. Its organizational structure centers on community-based banking operations supported by centralized technology, risk management and administrative functions.

The company's product offerings include deposit accounts, residential and commercial mortgage loans, commercial and consumer lending, treasury and cash management services, and electronic banking.

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