SB Financial Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:SBFG) Short Interest Down 70.4% in June

Key Points

• Short interest in SB Financial Group fell sharply in June, dropping 70.4% to 37,080 shares as of June 30 from 125,380 shares on June 15. That leaves about 0.6% of the company’s shares sold short and a very low 0.3-day days-to-cover ratio.
• The stock has been trending higher and recently beat earnings expectations, rising 1.7% to $26.27 in Friday trading. In its latest quarter, SB Financial Group reported $0.63 EPS versus $0.60 expected and revenue of $17.42 million versus $12.60 million expected.
• SB Financial Group also increased its dividend to $0.16 per share quarterly from $0.15, implying a 2.4% annual yield. Analysts currently hold a consensus rating of Moderate Buy on the stock.

SB Financial Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:SBFG - Get Free Report) was the recipient of a significant drop in short interest during the month of June. As of June 30th, there was short interest totaling 37,080 shares, a drop of 70.4% from the June 15th total of 125,380 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 131,049 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 0.3 days. Approximately 0.6% of the company's shares are short sold.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages have commented on SBFG. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of SB Financial Group from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Saturday, May 9th. Weiss Ratings restated a "buy (b)" rating on shares of SB Financial Group in a research report on Friday, June 26th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, SB Financial Group has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy".

SB Financial Group Trading Up 1.7%

NASDAQ SBFG traded up $0.45 during trading on Friday, reaching $26.27. 16,604 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 80,526. The firm has a market cap of $164.98 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.26 and a beta of 0.19. The stock's 50-day moving average price is $22.94 and its 200 day moving average price is $21.94. The company has a quick ratio of 0.94, a current ratio of 0.94 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33. SB Financial Group has a fifty-two week low of $18.16 and a fifty-two week high of $26.80.

SB Financial Group (NASDAQ:SBFG - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, April 23rd. The financial services provider reported $0.63 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.60 by $0.03. The firm had revenue of $17.42 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $12.60 million. SB Financial Group had a net margin of 17.22% and a return on equity of 11.52%. Analysts predict that SB Financial Group will post 2.53 EPS for the current year.

SB Financial Group Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 29th. Investors of record on Friday, May 15th were paid a dividend of $0.16 per share. This represents a $0.64 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 15th. This is a boost from SB Financial Group's previous quarterly dividend of $0.15. SB Financial Group's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 25.00%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. BNP Paribas Financial Markets increased its holdings in shares of SB Financial Group by 131.1% in the third quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 1,791 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $35,000 after acquiring an additional 1,016 shares in the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE lifted its holdings in shares of SB Financial Group by 4,732.7% during the 2nd quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 2,658 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $51,000 after purchasing an additional 2,603 shares in the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. grew its position in shares of SB Financial Group by 23,475.0% in the 2nd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 2,829 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $54,000 after purchasing an additional 2,817 shares during the period. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. acquired a new position in shares of SB Financial Group in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $62,000. Finally, Deutsche Bank AG increased its stake in SB Financial Group by 87.3% during the 4th quarter. Deutsche Bank AG now owns 4,141 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $92,000 after purchasing an additional 1,930 shares in the last quarter. 66.67% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About SB Financial Group

SB Financial Group, Inc NASDAQ: SBFG is the bank holding company for Star Financial Bank, a full-service community bank headquartered in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Through its wholly owned subsidiary, the company offers a broad portfolio of commercial and consumer banking products, including deposit accounts, lending solutions, mortgage origination and servicing, and cash management services.

In its commercial banking division, SB Financial Group provides working capital loans, equipment financing, commercial real estate lending and treasury management solutions designed for small- and mid-sized businesses.

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