Southern Missouri Bancorp (NASDAQ:SMBC) Shares Pass Above 200 Day Moving Average - Should You Sell?

Key Points

• SMBC shares moved above their 200-day moving average, reaching $73.74 before closing at $72.52; the 200-day average was $70.59.
• Analysts maintain a consensus “Hold” rating, with an average price target of $83.67. Ratings include one Buy and four Holds.
• The company beat quarterly earnings expectations, reporting $1.83 EPS versus the $1.52 consensus, and increased its quarterly dividend to $0.27, or $1.08 annually.

Southern Missouri Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ:SMBC - Get Free Report) shares crossed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Wednesday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $70.59 and traded as high as $73.74. Southern Missouri Bancorp shares last traded at $72.52, with a volume of 81,891 shares changing hands.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages have commented on SMBC. Raymond James Financial initiated coverage on Southern Missouri Bancorp in a research report on Tuesday, September 1st. They issued a "market perform" rating on the stock. Weiss Ratings reissued a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Southern Missouri Bancorp in a research note on Tuesday, September 1st. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods boosted their price objective on shares of Southern Missouri Bancorp from $75.00 to $83.00 and gave the company a "market perform" rating in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. Stephens downgraded shares of Southern Missouri Bancorp from an "overweight" rating to an "equal weight" rating and set a $85.00 target price on the stock. in a research note on Thursday, August 6th. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised shares of Southern Missouri Bancorp from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Saturday, July 25th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $83.67.

Southern Missouri Bancorp Trading Down 1.3%

The company has a market capitalization of $799.17 million, a PE ratio of 11.28 and a beta of 0.85. The company's fifty day moving average is $75.60 and its 200-day moving average is $70.59. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.25, a current ratio of 0.99 and a quick ratio of 0.99.

Southern Missouri Bancorp (NASDAQ:SMBC - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, July 22nd. The savings and loans company reported $1.83 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.52 by $0.31. The company had revenue of $51.76 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $51.14 million. Southern Missouri Bancorp had a return on equity of 12.59% and a net margin of 22.63%. On average, analysts anticipate that Southern Missouri Bancorp, Inc. will post 6.78 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Southern Missouri Bancorp Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, August 31st. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 14th were given a $0.27 dividend. This represents a $1.08 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, August 14th. This is a positive change from Southern Missouri Bancorp's previous quarterly dividend of $0.25. Southern Missouri Bancorp's dividend payout ratio is presently 16.80%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Southern Missouri Bancorp

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. GSA Capital Partners LLP bought a new position in shares of Southern Missouri Bancorp during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $1,439,000. Hsbc Holdings PLC purchased a new stake in Southern Missouri Bancorp during the second quarter valued at approximately $1,496,000. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company acquired a new stake in Southern Missouri Bancorp in the second quarter valued at approximately $18,079,000. Commerce Bank acquired a new stake in Southern Missouri Bancorp in the second quarter valued at approximately $1,685,000. Finally, Bank of New York Mellon Corp purchased a new position in Southern Missouri Bancorp in the second quarter worth $3,461,000. Institutional investors own 49.49% of the company's stock.

Southern Missouri Bancorp Company Profile

Southern Missouri Bancorp, Inc is the bank holding company for Southern Bank, a community banking institution headquartered in Poplar Bluff, Missouri. Through Southern Bank, the company provides banking and financial services to individuals, families, farmers, and businesses.

Southern Bank offers deposit products, residential and commercial real estate lending, consumer loans, agricultural financing, business loans, mortgage services, and treasury management solutions. Customers also have access to digital banking, online bill pay, mobile banking, and other standard personal and business banking services.

Southern Bank traces its history to 1887 and serves communities primarily in Missouri and neighboring areas, including parts of Arkansas.

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