Saul Centers (NYSE:BFS) Sets New 52-Week Low - Should You Sell?

Key Points

• Saul Centers' stock reached a new 52-week low of $30.90, down from a previous close of $31.58, with a trading volume of 45,656 shares.
• Despite a recent dividend declaration of $0.59 payable on October 31st, the company's financials showed a miss in earnings per share at $0.73 against estimates of $0.75.
• The company has a high dividend payout ratio of 178.79%, indicating that it is returning a significant portion of its earnings to shareholders.

Saul Centers, Inc. (NYSE:BFS - Get Free Report)'s stock price hit a new 52-week low during trading on Tuesday . The company traded as low as $30.90 and last traded at $30.99, with a volume of 45656 shares. The stock had previously closed at $31.58.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Separately, Weiss Ratings reissued a "hold (c-)" rating on shares of Saul Centers in a research report on Saturday, September 27th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Hold rating, According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Hold".

Saul Centers Stock Down 2.1%

The company has a current ratio of 1.28, a quick ratio of 1.28 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.16. The company has a market capitalization of $753.55 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.43 and a beta of 1.16. The company has a 50-day moving average of $32.56 and a 200-day moving average of $33.43.

Saul Centers (NYSE:BFS - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 7th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.73 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.75 by ($0.02). Saul Centers had a net margin of 15.51% and a return on equity of 13.79%. The company had revenue of $69.43 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $71.39 million. On average, equities analysts predict that Saul Centers, Inc. will post 3.14 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Saul Centers Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, October 31st. Investors of record on Wednesday, October 15th will be issued a $0.59 dividend. This represents a $2.36 annualized dividend and a yield of 7.6%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, October 15th. Saul Centers's dividend payout ratio is 178.79%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Saul Centers

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Nuveen LLC acquired a new stake in Saul Centers during the first quarter worth about $2,597,000. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Saul Centers by 3,314.0% during the 2nd quarter. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 58,038 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $1,981,000 after purchasing an additional 56,338 shares during the period. Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH acquired a new stake in Saul Centers during the first quarter valued at $1,253,000. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. grew its position in Saul Centers by 36.0% during the first quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 119,824 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $4,322,000 after buying an additional 31,722 shares during the period. Finally, Penserra Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in Saul Centers during the second quarter valued at $1,073,000. 49.99% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Saul Centers

Saul Centers is a self-managed, self-administered equity REIT headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland. Saul Centers currently operates and manages a real estate portfolio comprised of 61 properties that includes (a) 57 community and neighborhood Shopping Centers and Mixed-Use properties with approximately 9.8 million square feet of leasable area and (b) four land and development properties.

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