Martingale Asset Management L P Makes New Investment in Guaranty Bancshares, Inc. $GNTY

Key Points

• Martingale Asset Management acquired a new stake in Guaranty Bancshares, purchasing 5,488 shares valued at approximately $220,000 during the first quarter.
• Guaranty Bancshares recently declared a quarterly dividend of $0.25, representing an annualized yield of 2.1% with a dividend payout ratio of 31.85%.
• According to analyst ratings, Guaranty Bancshares has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a target price of $45.00, with Stephens reissuing an "overweight" rating and a target price of $47.00.

Martingale Asset Management L P purchased a new stake in shares of Guaranty Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:GNTY - Free Report) during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor purchased 5,488 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $220,000.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. American Century Companies Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Guaranty Bancshares by 36.0% during the first quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 65,637 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,627,000 after buying an additional 17,370 shares during the last quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. raised its stake in Guaranty Bancshares by 1.0% in the 1st quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 73,550 shares of the company's stock worth $2,944,000 after acquiring an additional 705 shares during the last quarter. Informed Momentum Co LLC acquired a new stake in Guaranty Bancshares during the 1st quarter worth about $427,000. Deutsche Bank AG grew its stake in Guaranty Bancshares by 22.7% during the 1st quarter. Deutsche Bank AG now owns 8,206 shares of the company's stock valued at $328,000 after purchasing an additional 1,520 shares during the last quarter. Finally, VeraBank N.A. acquired a new position in shares of Guaranty Bancshares in the first quarter valued at about $218,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 39.39% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Separately, Stephens reaffirmed an "overweight" rating and set a $47.00 target price on shares of Guaranty Bancshares in a report on Monday, June 30th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $45.00.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP William Travis Brown sold 706 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, August 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $48.58, for a total transaction of $34,297.48. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 615 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $29,876.70. This represents a 53.44% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 22.31% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Guaranty Bancshares Stock Performance

Shares of GNTY traded up $0.47 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $49.19. The company had a trading volume of 50,353 shares, compared to its average volume of 42,896. Guaranty Bancshares, Inc. has a 52-week low of $32.04 and a 52-week high of $49.37. The company has a quick ratio of 0.83, a current ratio of 0.83 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.14. The stock has a market capitalization of $558.60 million, a P/E ratio of 17.89 and a beta of 0.43. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $45.33 and a two-hundred day moving average of $41.98.

Guaranty Bancshares Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, July 9th. Investors of record on Monday, June 30th were paid a $0.25 dividend. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.0%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, June 30th. Guaranty Bancshares's payout ratio is currently 31.85%.

Guaranty Bancshares Company Profile

Guaranty Bancshares, Inc operates as the bank holding company for Guaranty Bank & Trust, N.A. that provides a range of commercial and consumer banking products and services for small- and medium-sized businesses, professionals, and individuals. The company offers checking and savings, money market, and business accounts, as well as certificates of deposit; and commercial and industrial, construction and development, 1-4 family residential, commercial real estate, farmland, agricultural, multi-family residential, and consumer loans.