Sei Investments Co. Purchases 20,673 Shares of Southern First Bancshares, Inc. $SFST

Key Points

• Sei Investments increased its Southern First Bancshares stake by 147.3% in the first quarter, adding 20,673 shares for a total of 34,706 shares valued at approximately $1.89 million. Institutional investors collectively own 75% of the company.
• Southern First Bancshares reported quarterly earnings of $1.20 per share, slightly exceeding the $1.19 consensus estimate, while generating $20.4 million in revenue. The stock recently traded at $63.33, near its 52-week high of $65.04.
• Analyst sentiment remains positive, with a consensus “Buy” rating and a $64 target price, although insiders sold 2,518 shares worth approximately $155,857 during the last quarter.

Sei Investments Co. grew its holdings in shares of Southern First Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:SFST - Free Report) by 147.3% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 34,706 shares of the bank's stock after acquiring an additional 20,673 shares during the period. Sei Investments Co. owned 0.37% of Southern First Bancshares worth $1,891,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the company. Royal Bank of Canada increased its position in Southern First Bancshares by 2.6% in the 1st quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 34,910 shares of the bank's stock valued at $1,149,000 after buying an additional 890 shares in the last quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. lifted its position in shares of Southern First Bancshares by 4.8% during the 1st quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 66,603 shares of the bank's stock worth $2,193,000 after buying an additional 3,074 shares in the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC boosted its position in Southern First Bancshares by 23.4% in the first quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 18,637 shares of the bank's stock worth $614,000 after purchasing an additional 3,532 shares during the last quarter. Jane Street Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of Southern First Bancshares in the 1st quarter worth about $303,000. Finally, Gabelli Funds LLC boosted its stake in Southern First Bancshares by 14.2% in the second quarter. Gabelli Funds LLC now owns 41,850 shares of the bank's stock valued at $1,592,000 after acquiring an additional 5,200 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 75.00% of the company's stock.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Southern First Bancshares news, CAO Julie Ann Fairchild sold 1,500 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Monday, August 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $63.00, for a total value of $94,500.00. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 5,200 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $327,600. The trade was a 22.39% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Leighton M. Cubbage sold 765 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, June 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $60.60, for a total transaction of $46,359.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 50,715 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,073,329. The trade was a 1.49% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold 2,518 shares of company stock valued at $155,857 in the last quarter. 6.90% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Southern First Bancshares Price Performance

SFST stock opened at $63.33 on Monday. The business's 50 day moving average price is $60.73 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $57.80. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.03, a quick ratio of 1.04 and a current ratio of 1.04. The company has a market capitalization of $599.10 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.56 and a beta of 0.68. Southern First Bancshares, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $39.75 and a fifty-two week high of $65.04.

Southern First Bancshares (NASDAQ:SFST - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 21st. The bank reported $1.20 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.19 by $0.01. Southern First Bancshares had a return on equity of 10.18% and a net margin of 16.78%.The business had revenue of $20.40 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $36.30 million. As a group, analysts forecast that Southern First Bancshares, Inc. will post 5.4 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Zacks Research upgraded Southern First Bancshares from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 22nd. Weiss Ratings restated a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Southern First Bancshares in a research report on Friday, July 31st. Finally, Wall Street Zen lowered Southern First Bancshares from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Wednesday, April 29th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and two have issued a Buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Southern First Bancshares has a consensus rating of "Buy" and a consensus target price of $64.00.

Southern First Bancshares Profile

Southern First Bancshares is the bank holding company for Southern First Bank, a community-oriented financial institution headquartered in Greenville, South Carolina. Through its wholly owned subsidiary, the company delivers a full spectrum of commercial and consumer banking services designed to meet the needs of small and midsize businesses, professionals, and individual customers. Southern First Bancshares operates under a relationship-driven model, emphasizing personalized service and local decision–making.

The company's core offerings include deposit products such as checking, savings, money market accounts and certificates of deposit, alongside an array of lending solutions covering commercial real estate, construction, equipment financing and small business administration (SBA) loans.

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