Everpar Advisors LLC Takes $1.56 Million Position in Simmons First National Co. (NASDAQ:SFNC)

Everpar Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Simmons First National Co. (NASDAQ:SFNC - Free Report) during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm bought 78,652 shares of the bank's stock, valued at approximately $1,560,000. Simmons First National comprises about 0.7% of Everpar Advisors LLC's holdings, making the stock its 22nd largest position. Everpar Advisors LLC owned approximately 0.06% of Simmons First National at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of SFNC. Simmons Bank boosted its position in shares of Simmons First National by 9.8% in the 4th quarter. Simmons Bank now owns 1,977,793 shares of the bank's stock valued at $39,239,000 after purchasing an additional 175,716 shares during the period. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. grew its position in shares of Simmons First National by 4.5% during the fourth quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 1,603,937 shares of the bank's stock worth $31,822,000 after acquiring an additional 69,560 shares during the last quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Simmons First National by 131.8% in the 4th quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 475,239 shares of the bank's stock valued at $9,429,000 after acquiring an additional 270,255 shares during the period. Gilliland Jeter Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Simmons First National in the 4th quarter valued at $787,000. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC acquired a new stake in Simmons First National during the 4th quarter worth $29,000. 27.58% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

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

Insider Transactions at Simmons First National

In other Simmons First National news, EVP George A. Makris III sold 15,625 shares of Simmons First National stock in a transaction on Tuesday, April 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $17.23, for a total value of $269,218.75. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 39,707 shares in the company, valued at approximately $684,151.61. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders own 1.91% of the company's stock.

Simmons First National Price Performance

Shares of Simmons First National stock traded up $0.08 during trading on Wednesday, reaching $17.91. The company's stock had a trading volume of 235,623 shares, compared to its average volume of 499,538. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $18.55 and a 200-day moving average price of $18.08. The company has a quick ratio of 0.77, a current ratio of 0.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36. The company has a market capitalization of $2.24 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.47 and a beta of 0.90. Simmons First National Co. has a 12-month low of $13.36 and a 12-month high of $20.82.

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

Simmons First National Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, July 1st. Shareholders of record on Friday, June 14th will be paid a dividend of $0.21 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, June 14th. This represents a $0.84 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.69%. Simmons First National's dividend payout ratio is currently 63.16%.

About Simmons First National

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.

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