Saul Centers (NYSE:BFS) Sets New 52-Week Low - Here's Why

Key Points

• Saul Centers shares hit a new 52-week low, falling to $28.56 and trading below both its 50-day moving average of $31.00 and 200-day average of $33.56.
• Weiss Ratings downgraded the stock from “hold (c)” to “hold (c-),” while the sole analyst rating remains Hold.
• The REIT reported quarterly EPS of $0.24, beating estimates of $0.14, but revenue missed expectations. It declared a $0.59 quarterly dividend, equating to an annualized yield of about 8.2% and a payout ratio of 243.3%.

Shares of Saul Centers, Inc. (NYSE:BFS - Get Free Report) reached a new 52-week low on Wednesday. The stock traded as low as $28.56 and last traded at $28.6650, with a volume of 38,072 shares. The stock had previously closed at $29.09.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Separately, Weiss Ratings cut shares of Saul Centers from a "hold (c)" rating to a "hold (c-)" rating in a research note on Thursday, October 8th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Hold rating. According to MarketBeat, Saul Centers presently has an average rating of "Hold".

Saul Centers Stock Performance

The company's 50-day moving average price is $31.00 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $33.56. The company has a market cap of $710.35 million, a P/E ratio of 29.65 and a beta of 0.91. The company has a current ratio of 1.62, a quick ratio of 1.62 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.64.

Saul Centers (NYSE:BFS - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, August 6th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.24 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.14 by $0.10. The business had revenue of $72.80 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $78.98 million. Saul Centers had a net margin of 11.54% and a return on equity of 11.97%.

Saul Centers Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, October 30th. Investors of record on Thursday, October 15th will be given a $0.59 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, October 15th. This represents a $2.36 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 8.2%. Saul Centers's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 243.30%.

Institutional Trading of Saul Centers

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Bessemer Group Inc. boosted its stake in Saul Centers by 82.9% in the 1st quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 1,412 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $47,000 after purchasing an additional 640 shares during the period. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Saul Centers during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $51,000. Jones Financial Companies Lllp raised its stake in Saul Centers by 53.5% during the 2nd quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 1,463 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $55,000 after purchasing an additional 510 shares during the period. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. raised its stake in Saul Centers by 1,011.6% during the 4th quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. now owns 2,101 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $66,000 after purchasing an additional 1,912 shares during the period. Finally, State of Wyoming purchased a new stake in shares of Saul Centers in the first quarter valued at $70,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 49.99% of the company's stock.

About Saul Centers

Saul Centers, Inc NYSE: BFS is a self-managed real estate investment trust that owns, operates, manages and develops income-producing commercial real estate. The company's portfolio is primarily composed of neighborhood and community shopping centers, along with mixed-use properties that combine retail, office and other commercial space.

Saul Centers' shopping centers are generally anchored by grocery stores, supermarkets, drugstores and other service-oriented retailers. Its properties are designed to serve local communities and typically include a range of tenants such as restaurants, personal-service businesses and specialty retailers.

Founded in 1993 and headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, Saul Centers focuses primarily on the Mid-Atlantic region, particularly the Washington, DC, metropolitan area and surrounding parts of Maryland and Virginia.

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