Saul Centers (NYSE:BFS) Stock Price Crosses Above 200-Day Moving Average - Here's Why

Key Points

• Technical breakout: Saul Centers' shares crossed above their 200‑day moving average, trading as high as $34.65 (last $34.53) versus a 200‑day MA of $32.15.
• Generous but potentially unsustainable dividend: The REIT declared a $0.59 quarterly dividend (annualized $2.36) for a 6.8% yield, but the payout ratio is very high at 216.51%.
• Caution on fundamentals and sentiment: Saul missed quarterly EPS ($0.15 vs. $0.27 expected) and revenue estimates, has a high debt‑to‑equity ratio (5.48) and a PE of 31.68, and carries a consensus "Hold" rating (Weiss reiterated a "hold (c-)").

Shares of Saul Centers, Inc. (NYSE:BFS - Get Free Report) crossed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Friday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $32.15 and traded as high as $34.65. Saul Centers shares last traded at $34.5330, with a volume of 55,064 shares.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Separately, Weiss Ratings restated a "hold (c-)" rating on shares of Saul Centers in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. One analyst has rated the stock with a Hold rating, According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Hold".

Saul Centers Stock Performance

The company has a market cap of $846.06 million, a PE ratio of 31.68 and a beta of 0.96. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.48, a current ratio of 1.90 and a quick ratio of 1.90. The business has a 50-day moving average of $33.74 and a 200 day moving average of $32.15.

Saul Centers (NYSE:BFS - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Friday, February 27th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.15 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.27 by ($0.12). The firm had revenue of $71.65 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $73.15 million. Saul Centers had a net margin of 12.94% and a return on equity of 12.48%.

Saul Centers Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 30th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, April 15th will be issued a dividend of $0.59 per share. This represents a $2.36 annualized dividend and a yield of 6.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, April 15th. Saul Centers's payout ratio is currently 216.51%.

Institutional Trading of Saul Centers

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of BFS. Hantz Financial Services Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Saul Centers by 48.8% during the third quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 1,092 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $35,000 after purchasing an additional 358 shares in the last quarter. CWM LLC boosted its stake in shares of Saul Centers by 35.8% during the fourth quarter. CWM LLC now owns 1,444 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $46,000 after purchasing an additional 381 shares in the last quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. boosted its stake in shares of Saul Centers by 3.3% during the fourth quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 13,027 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $411,000 after purchasing an additional 420 shares in the last quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. boosted its stake in shares of Saul Centers by 7.6% during the second quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 6,742 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $230,000 after purchasing an additional 475 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Resona Asset Management Co. Ltd. grew its stake in Saul Centers by 10.3% in the third quarter. Resona Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 5,450 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $171,000 after purchasing an additional 508 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 49.99% of the company's stock.

About Saul Centers

Saul Centers, Inc is a publicly traded real estate investment trust (REIT) that specializes in the ownership, development and management of retail properties. The company's portfolio is focused on grocery-anchored and necessity-based shopping centers, providing stable, long-term cash flows through leasing arrangements with national and regional retailers. In addition to ground-up development, Saul Centers actively pursues redevelopment and adaptive reuse projects to enhance value in existing assets.

Founded by the Saul family in 1945, Saul Centers has grown from a local real estate development firm into a listed REIT while maintaining its headquarters in Bethesda, Maryland.

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