Great Southern Bancorp (NASDAQ:GSBC) Shares Cross Above 200 Day Moving Average - Here's Why

Key Points

• GSBC shares moved above their 200-day moving average: The stock reached $78.51 and last traded at $77.99, compared with a 200-day average of $73.54.
• Analyst sentiment remains cautious: MarketBeat reports an average “Hold” rating and a $74 price target, below the current share price, despite one analyst maintaining a Buy rating.
• Recent financial results and shareholder returns were positive: Great Southern Bancorp reported quarterly EPS of $1.57, exceeding estimates by $0.19, and announced a $0.43 quarterly dividend, equivalent to a 2.2% yield.

Shares of Great Southern Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ:GSBC - Get Free Report) crossed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Monday. The stock has a 200-day moving average of $73.54 and traded as high as $78.51. Great Southern Bancorp shares last traded at $77.99, with a volume of 56,949 shares traded.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on GSBC shares. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods increased their price objective on shares of Great Southern Bancorp from $72.00 to $74.00 and gave the company a "market perform" rating in a research report on Friday, July 17th. Zacks Research downgraded shares of Great Southern Bancorp from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, June 16th. Finally, Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Great Southern Bancorp from a "buy (b+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 11th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Great Southern Bancorp presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $74.00.

Great Southern Bancorp Stock Performance

The company has a fifty day moving average of $79.60 and a two-hundred day moving average of $73.54. The firm has a market capitalization of $850.09 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.96 and a beta of 0.48. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.04, a quick ratio of 0.93 and a current ratio of 0.93.

Great Southern Bancorp (NASDAQ:GSBC - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 16th. The financial services provider reported $1.57 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.38 by $0.19. The firm had revenue of $56.87 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $55.26 million. Great Southern Bancorp had a return on equity of 10.83% and a net margin of 20.72%. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Great Southern Bancorp, Inc. will post 5.99 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Great Southern Bancorp Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, October 14th. Stockholders of record on Monday, September 28th will be given a $0.43 dividend. This represents a $1.72 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, September 28th. Great Southern Bancorp's payout ratio is presently 28.57%.

Insider Activity at Great Southern Bancorp

In related news, Director Julie Brown sold 851 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $81.00, for a total value of $68,931.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 7,052 shares in the company, valued at approximately $571,212. This represents a 10.77% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Company insiders own 29.75% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of Great Southern Bancorp

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of GSBC. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Great Southern Bancorp in the 2nd quarter valued at about $349,000. Engineers Gate Manager LP bought a new position in shares of Great Southern Bancorp during the second quarter worth approximately $229,000. Squarepoint Ops LLC bought a new position in shares of Great Southern Bancorp during the second quarter worth approximately $564,000. Susquehanna Fundamental Investments LLC raised its position in shares of Great Southern Bancorp by 71.1% in the second quarter. Susquehanna Fundamental Investments LLC now owns 10,611 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $832,000 after buying an additional 4,411 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Empowered Funds LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Great Southern Bancorp in the second quarter valued at approximately $4,237,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 41.66% of the company's stock.

About Great Southern Bancorp

Great Southern Bancorp, Inc is the bank holding company for Great Southern Bank, a full-service financial institution headquartered in Springfield, Missouri. Great Southern Bank traces its history to 1923 and operates as a community-oriented bank serving individuals, families, businesses and commercial customers.

The bank offers a range of deposit products, including checking, savings, money market and certificate of deposit accounts, along with residential mortgage, commercial real estate, construction, business and consumer lending.

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