George A. Makris III Sells 15,625 Shares of Simmons First National Co. (NASDAQ:SFNC) Stock

Simmons First National Co. (NASDAQ:SFNC - Get Free Report) EVP George A. Makris III sold 15,625 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, April 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $17.23, for a total transaction of $269,218.75. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 39,707 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $684,151.61. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link.

Simmons First National Stock Performance

Shares of SFNC stock traded up $0.24 during trading hours on Wednesday, hitting $17.33. The stock had a trading volume of 363,686 shares, compared to its average volume of 512,940. The stock's 50 day moving average is $18.69 and its 200 day moving average is $18.02. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.17 billion, a PE ratio of 12.92 and a beta of 0.87. Simmons First National Co. has a twelve month low of $13.36 and a twelve month high of $20.82. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36, a current ratio of 0.77 and a quick ratio of 0.77.

Simmons First National (NASDAQ:SFNC - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 24th. The bank reported $0.32 earnings per share for the quarter, hitting analysts' consensus estimates of $0.32. Simmons First National had a net margin of 11.97% and a return on equity of 5.94%. The firm had revenue of $195.10 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $202.35 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $0.37 EPS. Simmons First National's quarterly revenue was down 12.8% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts forecast that Simmons First National Co. will post 1.33 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Simmons First National Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, July 1st. Investors of record on Friday, June 14th will be given a $0.21 dividend. This represents a $0.84 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.85%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, June 14th. Simmons First National's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 63.16%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have weighed in on SFNC. StockNews.com cut Simmons First National from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research note on Friday, February 2nd. Stephens dropped their target price on shares of Simmons First National from $22.00 to $21.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, April 25th. Robert W. Baird boosted their price target on shares of Simmons First National from $20.00 to $22.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Thursday, January 25th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods dropped their price objective on Simmons First National from $21.00 to $20.00 and set a "market perform" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, April 25th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and three have given a hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Simmons First National has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $21.00.

Institutional Trading of Simmons First National

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. QRG Capital Management Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Simmons First National by 8.1% in the fourth quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc. now owns 13,984 shares of the bank's stock valued at $277,000 after purchasing an additional 1,043 shares during the period. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC increased its stake in Simmons First National by 0.6% in the 3rd quarter. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC now owns 214,262 shares of the bank's stock valued at $3,634,000 after buying an additional 1,187 shares during the period. Jag Capital Management LLC increased its stake in Simmons First National by 1.1% in the 3rd quarter. Jag Capital Management LLC now owns 121,073 shares of the bank's stock valued at $2,053,000 after buying an additional 1,330 shares during the period. GAMMA Investing LLC purchased a new position in Simmons First National during the 4th quarter worth $29,000. Finally, Summit Financial Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Simmons First National by 15.9% in the 4th quarter. Summit Financial Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 11,590 shares of the bank's stock worth $230,000 after acquiring an additional 1,590 shares during the period. 27.58% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Simmons First National Company Profile

Simmons First National Corporation operates as the holding company for Simmons Bank that provides banking and other financial products and services to individuals and businesses. The company offers checking, savings, and time deposits; consumer, real estate, and commercial loans; agricultural finance, equipment, and small business administration lending; trust and fiduciary services; credit cards; investment management products; treasury management; insurance products; and securities and investment services.