Lakeland Financial (NASDAQ:LKFN) EVP Eric Ottinger Sells 2,136 Shares

Key Points

• Insider sale: EVP Eric Ottinger sold 2,136 shares on May 1 at an average of $61.49 for $131,342.64, cutting his stake by 6.04% to 33,257 shares (about $2.04M).
• Quarterly results: Lakeland reported Q1 EPS of $1.04 (vs. $1.01 estimate) with $69.71M revenue (slightly below consensus), and strong profitability metrics including a 14.79% ROE and 25.81% net margin.
• Dividends and market view: The company declared a $0.52 quarterly dividend (annualized $2.08, yield ~3.4%, ex-dividend Apr 24), the stock was up ~1.3% to $61.32, and analysts maintain a consensus "Hold" with an average target of $66.50.

Lakeland Financial Corporation (NASDAQ:LKFN - Get Free Report) EVP Eric Ottinger sold 2,136 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $61.49, for a total value of $131,342.64. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 33,257 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,044,972.93. The trade was a 6.04% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link.

Lakeland Financial Stock Up 1.3%

Shares of LKFN stock traded up $0.80 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $61.32. 93,476 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 172,263. The firm has a market cap of $1.55 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.36 and a beta of 0.72. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $58.53 and a two-hundred day moving average of $58.97. Lakeland Financial Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $54.36 and a fifty-two week high of $69.40.

Lakeland Financial (NASDAQ:LKFN - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Monday, April 27th. The financial services provider reported $1.04 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.01 by $0.03. The business had revenue of $69.71 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $70.42 million. Lakeland Financial had a return on equity of 14.79% and a net margin of 25.81%.During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $0.78 EPS. On average, equities analysts forecast that Lakeland Financial Corporation will post 4.3 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Lakeland Financial Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, May 5th. Stockholders of record on Saturday, April 25th will be paid a dividend of $0.52 per share. This represents a $2.08 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, April 24th. Lakeland Financial's dividend payout ratio is presently 48.71%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Hovde Group upped their target price on Lakeland Financial from $63.00 to $66.00 and gave the stock a "market perform" rating in a research note on Tuesday. Weiss Ratings reissued a "hold (c)" rating on shares of Lakeland Financial in a research note on Tuesday, April 21st. Wall Street Zen raised Lakeland Financial from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Sunday, April 19th. Finally, Stephens set a $66.00 price objective on Lakeland Financial in a research note on Tuesday, January 27th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Lakeland Financial presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $66.50.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Osaic Holdings Inc. raised its stake in Lakeland Financial by 186.0% in the 2nd quarter. Osaic Holdings Inc. now owns 469 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 305 shares during the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Lakeland Financial by 1,212.5% in the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 630 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $39,000 after buying an additional 582 shares in the last quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. grew its holdings in Lakeland Financial by 40.5% in the 4th quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. now owns 729 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $42,000 after buying an additional 210 shares in the last quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC grew its holdings in Lakeland Financial by 118.9% in the 4th quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC now owns 996 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $57,000 after buying an additional 541 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Summit Securities Group LLC purchased a new stake in Lakeland Financial in the 1st quarter valued at $86,000. 81.15% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Lakeland Financial

Lakeland Financial Corporation is a bank holding company based in Warsaw, Indiana, that operates through its principal subsidiary, Lakeland Bank. The company offers a full range of commercial and consumer banking services, including deposit products such as checking accounts, savings accounts and certificates of deposit, as well as a variety of loan offerings spanning commercial real estate, agricultural, mortgage, consumer and small-business lending.

Originally organized in 1893 as Kosciusko County State Bank, the enterprise reorganized as a bank holding company in 1984 to facilitate strategic growth and diversification.

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