Millennium Management LLC Sells 47,357 Shares of Saul Centers, Inc. (NYSE:BFS)

Millennium Management LLC lowered its position in Saul Centers, Inc. (NYSE:BFS - Free Report) by 33.5% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 93,981 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock after selling 47,357 shares during the period. Millennium Management LLC owned 0.39% of Saul Centers worth $3,646,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of BFS. Assetmark Inc. grew its holdings in Saul Centers by 1,249.5% during the 4th quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 1,336 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $52,000 after acquiring an additional 1,237 shares during the period. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. boosted its position in shares of Saul Centers by 12.7% during the 4th quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 2,418 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $94,000 after purchasing an additional 273 shares in the last quarter. KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS bought a new stake in shares of Saul Centers during the 4th quarter valued at about $105,000. Resona Asset Management Co. Ltd. bought a new stake in Saul Centers in the fourth quarter worth approximately $179,000. Finally, First Trust Advisors LP acquired a new position in Saul Centers in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $215,000. 49.99% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Separately, Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Saul Centers from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Friday, March 7th.

Saul Centers Stock Up 1.5%

NYSE:BFS traded up $0.51 on Wednesday, hitting $34.64. The stock had a trading volume of 90,308 shares, compared to its average volume of 50,088. The company has a market cap of $838.32 million, a PE ratio of 18.83 and a beta of 1.10. Saul Centers, Inc. has a 52 week low of $31.25 and a 52 week high of $42.39. The business's fifty day moving average is $33.43 and its 200 day moving average is $36.27. The company has a quick ratio of 1.13, a current ratio of 1.13 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.61.

Saul Centers (NYSE:BFS - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, May 8th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.71 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.73 by ($0.02). The firm had revenue of $70.55 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $69.76 million. Saul Centers had a return on equity of 17.16% and a net margin of 20.84%. On average, equities research analysts expect that Saul Centers, Inc. will post 3.14 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Saul Centers Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 30th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, April 15th were given a dividend of $0.59 per share. This represents a $2.36 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 6.81%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, April 15th. Saul Centers's payout ratio is presently 160.54%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CEO B Francis Saul II acquired 2,821 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 14th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $33.22 per share, with a total value of $93,713.62. Following the acquisition, the chief executive officer now owns 217,397 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $7,221,928.34. This trade represents a 1.31% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Insiders have acquired 10,210 shares of company stock worth $341,786 in the last quarter. Insiders own 50.20% of the company's stock.

Saul Centers Profile

Saul Centers is a self-managed, self-administered equity REIT headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland. Saul Centers currently operates and manages a real estate portfolio comprised of 61 properties that includes (a) 57 community and neighborhood Shopping Centers and Mixed-Use properties with approximately 9.8 million square feet of leasable area and (b) four land and development properties.