SB Financial Group (NASDAQ:SBFG) Rating Increased to Buy at Wall Street Zen

Key Points

• SB Financial Group has been upgraded from a "hold" to a "buy" rating by Wall Street Zen, signaling potential investor confidence.
• The company's recent quarterly earnings report showed a profit of $0.58 EPS, exceeding estimates and reflecting a strong net margin of 13.78%.
• Significant insider activity includes Director Timothy L. Claxton purchasing 2,000 shares, increasing his holdings by 24.61%.

SB Financial Group (NASDAQ:SBFG - Get Free Report) was upgraded by investment analysts at Wall Street Zen from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note issued on Saturday.

SB Financial Group Price Performance

SBFG stock traded down $0.10 during trading on Friday, reaching $19.68. 345 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 26,447. The company has a 50-day moving average of $18.85 and a two-hundred day moving average of $19.93. The company has a market capitalization of $128.48 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.75 and a beta of 0.25. SB Financial Group has a twelve month low of $14.24 and a twelve month high of $24.48. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42, a current ratio of 0.93 and a quick ratio of 0.92.

SB Financial Group (NASDAQ:SBFG - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 24th. The financial services provider reported $0.58 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.54 by $0.04. SB Financial Group had a net margin of 13.78% and a return on equity of 9.63%. The firm had revenue of $17.02 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $11.80 million. As a group, equities analysts predict that SB Financial Group will post 2 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at SB Financial Group

In other news, Director Timothy L. Claxton acquired 2,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 23rd. The stock was bought at an average cost of $17.64 per share, for a total transaction of $35,280.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 10,127 shares in the company, valued at $178,640.28. This represents a 24.61% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Company insiders own 5.71% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On SB Financial Group

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP increased its position in shares of SB Financial Group by 3.2% during the fourth quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 164,832 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $3,447,000 after buying an additional 5,137 shares during the period. Bridgeway Capital Management LLC increased its position in shares of SB Financial Group by 2.6% during the fourth quarter. Bridgeway Capital Management LLC now owns 75,127 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $1,571,000 after buying an additional 1,875 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its position in shares of SB Financial Group by 0.9% during the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 71,749 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $1,501,000 after buying an additional 673 shares during the period. Empowered Funds LLC increased its position in shares of SB Financial Group by 7.1% during the first quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 42,469 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $884,000 after buying an additional 2,832 shares during the period. Finally, O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC increased its position in shares of SB Financial Group by 189.3% during the fourth quarter. O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC now owns 34,114 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $713,000 after buying an additional 22,321 shares during the period. 66.67% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About SB Financial Group

SB Financial Group, Inc operates as the financial holding company for the State Bank and Trust Company that provides a range of commercial banking and wealth management services to individual and corporate customers primarily in Ohio, Indiana, and Michigan. It offers checking, savings, money market accounts, as well as time certificates of deposit; and commercial, consumer, agricultural, and residential mortgage loans.