Nuveen LLC Purchases Shares of 295,406 Simmons First National Corporation $SFNC

Key Points

• Nuveen LLC has acquired 295,406 shares of Simmons First National Corporation, valued at approximately $6,065,000, marking a new investment in the bank.
• Simmons First National recently reported an earnings per share (EPS) of $0.44 for the quarter, surpassing analysts' estimates, with year-over-year revenue growth of 8.6%.
• Various research firms have upgraded their ratings on Simmons First National, with price targets ranging from $22.00 to $23.00, indicating a positive outlook on the stock.

Nuveen LLC purchased a new stake in Simmons First National Corporation (NASDAQ:SFNC - Free Report) in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm purchased 295,406 shares of the bank's stock, valued at approximately $6,065,000. Nuveen LLC owned 0.23% of Simmons First National at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Point72 Asia Singapore Pte. Ltd. acquired a new stake in Simmons First National in the 4th quarter valued at $36,000. Quarry LP acquired a new stake in Simmons First National in the 4th quarter valued at $47,000. CWM LLC grew its position in Simmons First National by 99.0% in the 1st quarter. CWM LLC now owns 4,625 shares of the bank's stock valued at $95,000 after purchasing an additional 2,301 shares during the period. Aquatic Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in Simmons First National in the 4th quarter valued at $114,000. Finally, KBC Group NV grew its position in Simmons First National by 18.7% in the 1st quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 7,231 shares of the bank's stock valued at $148,000 after purchasing an additional 1,140 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 27.58% of the company's stock.

Simmons First National Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ SFNC traded up $0.04 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $20.89. 761,650 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 987,250. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.02 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.45 and a beta of 0.95. Simmons First National Corporation has a 52 week low of $17.20 and a 52 week high of $25.95. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.28, a current ratio of 0.80 and a quick ratio of 0.80. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $19.69 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $19.69.

Simmons First National (NASDAQ:SFNC - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, July 17th. The bank reported $0.44 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.40 by $0.04. Simmons First National had a return on equity of 5.23% and a net margin of 11.19%.The company had revenue of $214.18 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $217.21 million. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $0.33 EPS. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 8.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts predict that Simmons First National Corporation will post 1.66 EPS for the current year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on SFNC shares. DA Davidson lifted their price objective on shares of Simmons First National from $21.00 to $23.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Wednesday, July 23rd. Zacks Research raised shares of Simmons First National from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Monday, August 18th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Simmons First National from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Friday, July 18th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lifted their price objective on shares of Simmons First National from $21.00 to $22.00 and gave the stock a "market perform" rating in a report on Monday, July 21st. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, one has given a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $22.75.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director Russell William Teubner acquired 9,200 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 7th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $18.62 per share, for a total transaction of $171,304.00. Following the purchase, the director owned 53,220 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $990,956.40. The trade was a 20.90% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Marty Casteel acquired 5,400 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, July 23rd. The stock was purchased at an average price of $18.50 per share, for a total transaction of $99,900.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director directly owned 213,901 shares in the company, valued at $3,957,168.50. This trade represents a 2.59% increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Insiders purchased a total of 100,755 shares of company stock worth $1,865,332 in the last ninety days. 1.44% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Simmons First National Profile

Simmons First National Corporation operates as the holding company for Simmons Bank that provides banking and other financial products and services to individuals and businesses. The company offers checking, savings, and time deposits; consumer, real estate, and commercial loans; agricultural finance, equipment, and small business administration lending; trust and fiduciary services; credit cards; investment management products; treasury management; insurance products; and securities and investment services.