Saul Centers, Inc. (NYSE:BFS) Stock Position Increased by Northern Trust Corp

Northern Trust Corp grew its stake in Saul Centers, Inc. (NYSE:BFS - Free Report) by 27.1% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 140,411 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock after buying an additional 29,951 shares during the period. Northern Trust Corp owned 0.58% of Saul Centers worth $5,448,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. raised its stake in shares of Saul Centers by 12.7% during the fourth quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 2,418 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $94,000 after purchasing an additional 273 shares during the last quarter. Ieq Capital LLC increased its holdings in Saul Centers by 3.2% in the fourth quarter. Ieq Capital LLC now owns 8,934 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $347,000 after buying an additional 280 shares in the last quarter. Zacks Investment Management raised its holdings in Saul Centers by 2.4% during the fourth quarter. Zacks Investment Management now owns 17,121 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $664,000 after purchasing an additional 396 shares during the last quarter. Inspire Investing LLC raised its stake in shares of Saul Centers by 5.0% during the 4th quarter. Inspire Investing LLC now owns 10,341 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $401,000 after buying an additional 497 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Rhumbline Advisers boosted its position in shares of Saul Centers by 1.7% in the 4th quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 34,243 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $1,329,000 after buying an additional 575 shares in the last quarter. 49.99% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Saul Centers Stock Up 0.2%

Saul Centers stock traded up $0.05 during trading on Monday, reaching $32.63. 46,460 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 49,762. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.61, a quick ratio of 1.13 and a current ratio of 1.13. Saul Centers, Inc. has a 52-week low of $31.25 and a 52-week high of $42.39. The firm has a market cap of $789.68 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.73 and a beta of 1.08. The company's 50-day moving average is $33.69 and its two-hundred day moving average is $36.51.

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

Saul Centers Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 30th. Investors of record on Tuesday, April 15th were issued a $0.59 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, April 15th. This represents a $2.36 annualized dividend and a yield of 7.23%. Saul Centers's dividend payout ratio is presently 160.54%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Saul Centers

In other news, CEO B Francis Saul II purchased 2,821 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 14th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $33.22 per share, with a total value of $93,713.62. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 217,397 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,221,928.34. The trade was a 1.31% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. 56.57% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

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

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.