Natixis Advisors LLC Boosts Stake in Bank OZK (NASDAQ:OZK)

Key Points

• Natixis Advisors LLC increased its stake in Bank OZK by 66.7%, acquiring an additional 14,601 shares to hold a total of 36,503 shares, valued at approximately $1.59 million.
• Bank OZK announced a quarterly dividend increase to $0.44 per share, marking a dividend yield of 3.7%, up from the previous $0.43.
• Despite recent analyst adjustments, Bank OZK currently holds an average rating of "Hold", with a consensus price target of $52.88.

Natixis Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of Bank OZK (NASDAQ:OZK - Free Report) by 66.7% in the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 36,503 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 14,601 shares during the period. Natixis Advisors LLC's holdings in Bank OZK were worth $1,586,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also bought and sold shares of OZK. Tidal Investments LLC grew its stake in Bank OZK by 1.0% in the 4th quarter. Tidal Investments LLC now owns 21,575 shares of the company's stock worth $961,000 after buying an additional 205 shares in the last quarter. Bank of Montreal Can grew its position in Bank OZK by 0.5% during the fourth quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 46,832 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,085,000 after buying an additional 241 shares during the period. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System lifted its holdings in Bank OZK by 1.0% during the first quarter. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System now owns 29,600 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,286,000 after purchasing an additional 300 shares in the last quarter. State of Alaska Department of Revenue lifted its holdings in shares of Bank OZK by 2.7% in the first quarter. State of Alaska Department of Revenue now owns 12,359 shares of the company's stock worth $536,000 after buying an additional 330 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Focus Partners Advisor Solutions LLC raised its stake in Bank OZK by 0.9% during the fourth quarter. Focus Partners Advisor Solutions LLC now owns 38,327 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,707,000 after purchasing an additional 347 shares in the last quarter. 86.18% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have weighed in on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on shares of Bank OZK from $48.00 to $49.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Monday, July 21st. Raymond James Financial upgraded shares of Bank OZK from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $58.00 price target on the stock in a report on Tuesday, July 8th. Stephens cut their price target on shares of Bank OZK from $59.00 to $54.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a report on Monday, April 21st. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods cut their price target on shares of Bank OZK from $50.00 to $48.00 and set a "market perform" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, April 22nd. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have assigned a buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $52.88.

Bank OZK Price Performance

OZK stock traded up $0.94 during midday trading on Wednesday, reaching $50.44. The stock had a trading volume of 231,400 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,194,044. Bank OZK has a 52-week low of $35.71 and a 52-week high of $53.64. The company has a current ratio of 1.04, a quick ratio of 1.02 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.23. The company's fifty day simple moving average is $48.65 and its 200 day simple moving average is $46.42. The company has a market cap of $5.74 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.19 and a beta of 0.86.

Bank OZK (NASDAQ:OZK - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 17th. The company reported $1.58 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.51 by $0.07. The firm had revenue of $428.04 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $423.41 million. Bank OZK had a net margin of 25.83% and a return on equity of 13.24%. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $1.52 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Bank OZK will post 6.02 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Bank OZK Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, July 18th. Stockholders of record on Friday, July 11th were given a dividend of $0.44 per share. This is a boost from Bank OZK's previous quarterly dividend of $0.43. This represents a $1.76 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, July 11th. Bank OZK's dividend payout ratio is presently 28.57%.

About Bank OZK

Bank OZK provides various retail and commercial banking services for individuals and businesses in the United States. The company offers deposit services, including non-interest bearing checking, interest bearing transaction, business sweep, savings, money market, individual retirement, and other accounts, as well as time and reciprocal deposits.