EQB (TSE:EQB) Stock Crosses Above 200-Day Moving Average - Time to Sell?

Key Points

• EQB shares rose 4.6% and moved above their 200-day moving average, trading at C$127.87 versus the average of C$122.52.
• Analysts’ consensus rating is “Moderate Buy”, with six Buy and five Hold ratings and an average price target of C$139.50.
• EQB raised its quarterly dividend from C$0.61 to C$0.63 per share; insiders also bought 184,200 shares worth about C$23.6 million in the last quarter.

EQB Inc. (TSE:EQB - Get Free Report)'s share price crossed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Wednesday. The stock has a 200-day moving average of C$122.52 and traded as high as C$128.50. EQB shares last traded at C$127.87, with a volume of 130,146 shares.

Analyst Ratings Changes

EQB has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. National Bank Financial boosted their target price on EQB from C$120.00 to C$143.00 and gave the stock a "sector perform" rating in a research note on Thursday, August 13th. Jefferies Financial Group decreased their price target on EQB from C$128.00 to C$127.00 in a research report on Thursday, September 3rd. Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce dropped their price target on EQB from C$165.00 to C$154.00 and set an "outperformer" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, August 28th. Royal Bank Of Canada lifted their price target on EQB from C$131.00 to C$146.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Friday, August 28th. Finally, Desjardins cut their price objective on EQB from C$155.00 to C$150.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, August 28th. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of C$139.50.

EQB Stock Up 4.6%

The company's 50-day moving average is C$124.21 and its two-hundred day moving average is C$122.52. The company has a market cap of C$5.44 billion, a P/E ratio of -456.68, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.34 and a beta of 0.86.

EQB (TSE:EQB - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 26th. The company reported C$2.12 EPS for the quarter. The business had revenue of C$393.04 million for the quarter. EQB had a negative net margin of 0.08% and a negative return on equity of 0.07%. On average, analysts anticipate that EQB Inc. will post 12.60 EPS for the current fiscal year.

EQB Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 29th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, September 29th were paid a dividend of $0.63 per share. This represents a $2.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.0%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, September 15th. This is an increase from EQB's previous quarterly dividend of $0.61. EQB's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is -828.57%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, insider Loblaw Companies Limited acquired 16,000 shares of EQB stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 15th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of C$126.95 per share, with a total value of C$2,031,200.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the insider owned 1,660,100 shares in the company, valued at approximately C$210,749,695. This trade represents a 0.97% increase in their ownership of the stock. Insiders purchased a total of 184,200 shares of company stock valued at $23,628,874 in the last quarter. 29.02% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

EQB Company Profile

EQB Inc TSX: EQB is a leading Canadian financial services company with approximately $151 billion in combined assets under management and administration. It is the parent company of Equitable Bank, the country's seventh largest Schedule I bank by assets, which operates EQ Bank, Canada's Challenger Bank. Our purpose is to remake banking so every Canadian gets ahead, every day. Since 1970, we have built thoughtful financial solutions that serve more than 4 million customers, turning everyday moments into meaningful progress.

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