Kepler Cheuvreux Suisse SA Invests $4.45 Million in Bank Of Montreal $BMO

Key Points

• Kepler Cheuvreux Suisse SA opened a new position in Bank of Montreal during the fourth quarter, buying 34,266 shares valued at about $4.45 million.
• Bank of Montreal recently reported better-than-expected quarterly results, with EPS of $2.51 versus the $2.35 consensus and revenue of $7.21 billion, up 6% year over year.
• The bank declared a quarterly dividend of $1.67 per share, implying an annualized yield of about 4.4%; analysts currently have a consensus rating of Hold with a $163 price target.

Kepler Cheuvreux Suisse SA bought a new position in shares of Bank Of Montreal (NYSE:BMO - Free Report) TSE: BMO during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm bought 34,266 shares of the bank's stock, valued at approximately $4,447,000.

Other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. WFA of San Diego LLC purchased a new position in shares of Bank Of Montreal during the second quarter worth approximately $28,000. Larson Financial Group LLC increased its position in shares of Bank Of Montreal by 466.7% during the third quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 238 shares of the bank's stock worth $31,000 after acquiring an additional 196 shares during the period. Flagship Harbor Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Bank Of Montreal during the fourth quarter worth approximately $34,000. Sunbelt Securities Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Bank Of Montreal during the third quarter worth approximately $42,000. Finally, Bayforest Capital Ltd increased its position in shares of Bank Of Montreal by 669.6% during the fourth quarter. Bayforest Capital Ltd now owns 354 shares of the bank's stock worth $46,000 after acquiring an additional 308 shares during the period. 45.82% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Bank Of Montreal Price Performance

NYSE BMO opened at $152.87 on Monday. The firm's fifty day simple moving average is $143.49 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $135.67. The company has a current ratio of 1.02, a quick ratio of 1.02 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11. Bank Of Montreal has a 12-month low of $99.19 and a 12-month high of $156.00. The firm has a market capitalization of $107.14 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.75, a P/E/G ratio of 0.98 and a beta of 0.94.

Bank Of Montreal (NYSE:BMO - Get Free Report) TSE: BMO last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 25th. The bank reported $2.51 earnings per share (EPS) 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 for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.73 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $3.04 earnings per share. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 6.0% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts forecast that Bank Of Montreal will post 10.25 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Bank Of Montreal Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, May 26th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, April 29th will be issued a $1.67 dividend. This represents a $6.68 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, April 29th. Bank Of Montreal's payout ratio is currently 55.75%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

BMO has been the subject of several recent research reports. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Bank Of Montreal from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Sunday, February 8th. Scotiabank reissued a "sector perform" rating on shares of Bank Of Montreal in a report on Monday, May 4th. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a "hold" rating on shares of Bank Of Montreal in a report on Wednesday, February 25th. TD Securities raised shares of Bank Of Montreal from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, January 27th. Finally, Raymond James Financial raised shares of Bank Of Montreal from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating in a report on Friday, February 13th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have given a Buy rating, seven have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Bank Of Montreal has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $163.00.

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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