Insider Buying: AmeriServ Financial (NASDAQ:ASRV) CEO Acquires 3,000 Shares of Stock

Key Points

• CEO Jeffrey Stopko purchased 3,000 shares on May 5 at an average price of $3.85 (total $11,550), raising his holdings to 169,379 shares (a 1.8% increase); the transaction was disclosed in an SEC Form 4.
• The firm declared a quarterly dividend of $0.03 per share (annualized $0.12) for a ~3.1% yield, with an ex-dividend date of May 4 and payment on May 18.
• AmeriServ reported quarterly EPS of $0.11, has a market cap of about $64.8M and a P/E of ~11.6, and was upgraded by Weiss Ratings from "hold (c+)" to "buy (b-)"; the stock traded near $3.82 within a 52-week range of $2.40–$4.04.

AmeriServ Financial Inc. (NASDAQ:ASRV - Get Free Report) CEO Jeffrey Stopko purchased 3,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 5th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $3.85 per share, with a total value of $11,550.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 169,379 shares in the company, valued at $652,109.15. This trade represents a 1.80% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website.

AmeriServ Financial Stock Up 1.6%

AmeriServ Financial stock traded up $0.06 during trading on Wednesday, reaching $3.82. 874 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 14,933. The company's 50-day moving average is $3.77 and its two-hundred day moving average is $3.42. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62, a quick ratio of 0.87 and a current ratio of 0.87. AmeriServ Financial Inc. has a 52-week low of $2.40 and a 52-week high of $4.04. The firm has a market cap of $64.80 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.58 and a beta of 0.47.

AmeriServ Financial (NASDAQ:ASRV - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 21st. The financial services provider reported $0.11 earnings per share for the quarter. AmeriServ Financial had a net margin of 6.20% and a return on equity of 4.78%. The firm had revenue of $14.80 million during the quarter.

AmeriServ Financial Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 18th. Investors of record on Monday, May 4th will be given a dividend of $0.03 per share. This represents a $0.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, May 4th. AmeriServ Financial's dividend payout ratio is 36.36%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, Weiss Ratings raised shares of AmeriServ Financial from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a research report on Monday, March 9th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Buy".

Hedge Funds Weigh In On AmeriServ Financial

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its position in AmeriServ Financial by 2.0% in the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 142,798 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $456,000 after buying an additional 2,830 shares during the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC lifted its position in shares of AmeriServ Financial by 4.5% during the first quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 101,212 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $246,000 after purchasing an additional 4,396 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Argyle Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in AmeriServ Financial in the third quarter worth about $275,000. 31.52% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

AmeriServ Financial Company Profile

AmeriServ Financial, Inc is a holding company, which engages in the provision of consumer, mortgage and commercial financial products and services through its subsidiary. It operates through the following segments: Community Banking, Wealth Management, and Investment or Parent. The Community Banking segment includes both retail and commercial banking activities. The Wealth Management segment involves in the operations of a Trust Company, West Chester Capital Advisors an investment advisory firm, and Financial Services.

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