Guild Holdings (NYSE:GHLD) Given Consensus Recommendation of "Moderate Buy" by Brokerages

Guild Holdings (NYSE:GHLD - Get Free Report) has been given an average rating of "Moderate Buy" by the five analysts that are currently covering the stock, MarketBeat reports. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average 12 month price objective among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $16.50.

A number of research firms recently issued reports on GHLD. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded shares of Guild from an "underweight" rating to a "neutral" rating and lowered their target price for the company from $12.50 to $12.00 in a report on Tuesday, April 8th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Guild to a "hold" rating in a research note on Thursday.

Institutional Trading of Guild

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Adage Capital Partners GP L.L.C. boosted its position in shares of Guild by 4.5% in the first quarter. Adage Capital Partners GP L.L.C. now owns 657,132 shares of the company's stock worth $10,054,000 after buying an additional 28,482 shares during the period. Donald Smith & CO. Inc. lifted its position in Guild by 10.5% during the 1st quarter. Donald Smith & CO. Inc. now owns 380,925 shares of the company's stock worth $5,828,000 after acquiring an additional 36,183 shares in the last quarter. Millennium Management LLC boosted its holdings in Guild by 18.6% in the 4th quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 15,441 shares of the company's stock worth $218,000 after acquiring an additional 2,421 shares during the period. Citadel Advisors LLC grew its position in Guild by 57.5% in the fourth quarter. Citadel Advisors LLC now owns 16,799 shares of the company's stock valued at $237,000 after acquiring an additional 6,134 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Bayview Asset Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Guild by 6.4% during the fourth quarter. Bayview Asset Management LLC now owns 1,595,844 shares of the company's stock valued at $22,517,000 after purchasing an additional 95,327 shares during the period. 17.52% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Guild Trading Up 0.7%

GHLD traded up $0.09 during midday trading on Thursday, hitting $12.95. The company's stock had a trading volume of 2,263 shares, compared to its average volume of 13,048. Guild has a 52-week low of $11.21 and a 52-week high of $18.26. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $13.41 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $13.32. The company has a current ratio of 0.06, a quick ratio of 0.06 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.92. The firm has a market cap of $801.59 million, a P/E ratio of -8.34, a PEG ratio of 0.27 and a beta of 0.81.

Guild Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 31st. Investors of record on Monday, March 17th were issued a dividend of $0.50 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 17th. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 15.45%. Guild's payout ratio is 144.93%.

Guild Company Profile

Guild Holdings Company originates, sells, and services residential mortgage loans in the United States. It operates in two segments, Origination and Servicing. The company offers residential mortgages through retail and correspondent channels. Guild Holdings Company was incorporated in 1960 and is headquartered in San Diego, California.

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