Enterprise Financial Services (NASDAQ:EFSC) Cut to "Sell" at Wall Street Zen

Key Points

• Wall Street Zen downgraded Enterprise Financial Services (NASDAQ: EFSC) from “hold” to “sell,” even though the broader analyst view remains more positive.
• The stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” with an average price target of $68.50; four analysts rate it Buy and one rates it Hold.
• EFSC shares were down 1.6% and recently traded at $67.39, near their 52-week high of $68.73; the company also reported Q2 results that slightly beat EPS estimates and topped revenue forecasts.

Enterprise Financial Services (NASDAQ:EFSC - Get Free Report) was downgraded by equities researchers at Wall Street Zen from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a report released on Saturday.

EFSC has been the topic of a number of other research reports. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised their price target on Enterprise Financial Services from $66.00 to $67.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Friday, April 24th. Raymond James Financial upped their price target on shares of Enterprise Financial Services from $65.00 to $72.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday, July 1st. Piper Sandler lifted their price objective on shares of Enterprise Financial Services from $64.00 to $67.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Thursday, June 18th. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Enterprise Financial Services in a research note on Friday, July 10th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $68.50.

Enterprise Financial Services Stock Down 1.6%

Shares of EFSC opened at $67.39 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 0.84, a quick ratio of 0.84 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.21. Enterprise Financial Services has a 12 month low of $51.18 and a 12 month high of $68.73. The firm's 50 day moving average is $62.85 and its 200-day moving average is $58.88. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.47 billion, a PE ratio of 12.72 and a beta of 0.79.

Enterprise Financial Services (NASDAQ:EFSC - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 22nd. The bank reported $1.31 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.30 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $188.85 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $174.02 million. Enterprise Financial Services had a return on equity of 10.35% and a net margin of 19.81%. Equities research analysts forecast that Enterprise Financial Services will post 5.57 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Mark G. Ponder sold 1,250 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, April 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $60.55, for a total value of $75,687.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 23,526 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,424,499.30. This represents a 5.05% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 2.20% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of Enterprise Financial Services

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in EFSC. Empowered Funds LLC increased its stake in shares of Enterprise Financial Services by 2.9% in the first quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 157,012 shares of the bank's stock valued at $8,496,000 after buying an additional 4,402 shares during the period. Glenmede Trust Co. NA bought a new position in Enterprise Financial Services in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $10,093,000. Bank of America Corp DE boosted its position in Enterprise Financial Services by 5.7% during the 1st quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 397,357 shares of the bank's stock worth $21,501,000 after buying an additional 21,269 shares during the period. Royal Bank of Canada boosted its position in Enterprise Financial Services by 311.2% during the 1st quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 8,591 shares of the bank's stock worth $464,000 after buying an additional 6,502 shares during the period. Finally, Quantinno Capital Management LP grew its holdings in Enterprise Financial Services by 371.9% during the 1st quarter. Quantinno Capital Management LP now owns 41,295 shares of the bank's stock worth $2,235,000 after acquiring an additional 32,545 shares during the last quarter. 72.21% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Enterprise Financial Services Company Profile

Enterprise Financial Services Corp. NASDAQ: EFSC is a bank holding company headquartered in Clayton, Missouri, operating through its primary subsidiary, Enterprise Bank & Trust. The company provides a comprehensive range of banking and financial services to individuals, small- and mid-sized businesses, and institutional clients. Its capabilities encompass deposit products, lending solutions, mortgage banking, and treasury management, supported by a full suite of digital banking tools and personalized client service.

In its commercial banking segment, Enterprise Bank & Trust offers lines of credit, equipment financing, commercial real estate loans, construction lending and agriculture lending.

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