Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. Grows Holdings in Enterprise Financial Services Corporation $EFSC

Key Points

• Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management sharply increased its stake in Enterprise Financial Services, boosting holdings by 3,318% in the fourth quarter to 28,472 shares worth about $1.54 million. Institutional ownership remains high overall, with hedge funds and other investors holding 72.21% of the stock.
• Enterprise Financial Services reported quarterly EPS of $1.31, slightly ahead of analyst expectations, though revenue came in below estimates at $113.74 million. Analysts still expect the bank to earn 5.55 EPS for the full year.
• The company raised its quarterly dividend to $0.34 per share from $0.33, implying an annualized dividend of $1.36 and a yield of 2.2%. Meanwhile, Wall Street sentiment remains constructive, with a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $66.

Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. raised its position in Enterprise Financial Services Corporation (NASDAQ:EFSC - Free Report) by 3,318.0% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 28,472 shares of the bank's stock after purchasing an additional 27,639 shares during the period. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. owned about 0.08% of Enterprise Financial Services worth $1,537,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in EFSC. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Enterprise Financial Services by 929.0% in the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 638 shares of the bank's stock valued at $35,000 after purchasing an additional 576 shares in the last quarter. First Horizon Corp lifted its holdings in Enterprise Financial Services by 55.6% in the 4th quarter. First Horizon Corp now owns 708 shares of the bank's stock valued at $38,000 after purchasing an additional 253 shares in the last quarter. Signaturefd LLC lifted its holdings in Enterprise Financial Services by 65.0% in the 4th quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 812 shares of the bank's stock valued at $44,000 after purchasing an additional 320 shares in the last quarter. Comerica Bank lifted its holdings in Enterprise Financial Services by 17.4% in the 3rd quarter. Comerica Bank now owns 2,041 shares of the bank's stock valued at $118,000 after purchasing an additional 303 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Federated Hermes Inc. lifted its holdings in Enterprise Financial Services by 106.0% in the 2nd quarter. Federated Hermes Inc. now owns 2,182 shares of the bank's stock valued at $120,000 after purchasing an additional 1,123 shares in the last quarter. 72.21% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Enterprise Financial Services Stock Down 1.4%

EFSC opened at $60.61 on Thursday. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $57.44 and a 200 day moving average price of $56.55. The company has a market cap of $2.22 billion, a PE ratio of 11.44 and a beta of 0.79. Enterprise Financial Services Corporation has a 1 year low of $51.18 and a 1 year high of $62.30. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.21, a quick ratio of 0.84 and a current ratio of 0.84.

Enterprise Financial Services (NASDAQ:EFSC - Get Free Report) last posted its 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. Enterprise Financial Services had a net margin of 19.81% and a return on equity of 10.35%. The firm had revenue of $113.74 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $174.02 million. Sell-side analysts expect that Enterprise Financial Services Corporation will post 5.55 earnings per share for the current year.

Enterprise Financial Services Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 30th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 15th will be given a $0.34 dividend. This represents a $1.36 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.2%. This is a positive change from Enterprise Financial Services's previous quarterly dividend of $0.33. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, June 15th. Enterprise Financial Services's dividend payout ratio is 24.91%.

Insider Transactions at Enterprise Financial Services

In other Enterprise Financial Services news, EVP Mark G. Ponder sold 1,250 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, April 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $60.55, for a total value of $75,687.50. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 23,526 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,424,499.30. This trade represents a 5.05% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 2.20% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts have issued reports on the stock. DA Davidson upped their target price on shares of Enterprise Financial Services from $66.00 to $68.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, January 28th. Piper Sandler upped their price objective on shares of Enterprise Financial Services from $62.00 to $64.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 28th. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Enterprise Financial Services from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a research note on Monday, February 23rd. Raymond James Financial assumed coverage on shares of Enterprise Financial Services in a research note on Tuesday, April 28th. They set an "outperform" rating and a $65.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised shares of Enterprise Financial Services from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday, May 23rd. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Enterprise Financial Services presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $66.00.

Enterprise Financial Services 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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