SFL (NYSE:SFL) Shares Pass Above 200-Day Moving Average - Here's What Happened

Key Points

• SFL passed above its 200-day moving average (200‑day MA $8.52), trading as high as $10.84 and last at $10.6450 on volume of about 988,650 shares.
• Analyst views are mixed—BTIG raised its target to $12 with a buy rating while Weiss moved to hold and Wall Street Zen cut to sell—yet the consensus is a Moderate Buy with an average target of $12.00.
• SFL reported a loss of $0.04 EPS with a negative net margin and a negative P/E, though revenue of $175.51M beat estimates but was down 23.1% year‑over‑year; the company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.20 (annualized $0.80), implying a 7.5% yield despite a distorted payout ratio.

SFL Corporation Ltd. (NYSE:SFL - Get Free Report) passed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Thursday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $8.52 and traded as high as $10.84. SFL shares last traded at $10.6450, with a volume of 988,650 shares changing hands.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts recently commented on the company. BTIG Research increased their price objective on SFL from $11.00 to $12.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of SFL from a "sell (d+)" rating to a "hold (c-)" rating in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. Finally, Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of SFL from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research report on Saturday, February 14th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $12.00.

SFL Price Performance

The stock has a market cap of $1.54 billion, a P/E ratio of -53.23 and a beta of 0.41. The company has a current ratio of 0.36, a quick ratio of 0.35 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.04. The company's fifty day simple moving average is $9.89 and its 200-day simple moving average is $8.52.

SFL (NYSE:SFL - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 11th. The shipping company reported ($0.04) EPS for the quarter. SFL had a negative return on equity of 0.30% and a negative net margin of 3.61%.The business had revenue of $175.51 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $168.36 million. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $0.15 earnings per share. SFL's revenue was down 23.1% on a year-over-year basis.

SFL Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 30th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, March 12th will be paid a dividend of $0.20 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, March 12th. This represents a $0.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 7.5%. SFL's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently -400.00%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On SFL

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of SFL by 789.3% in the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 3,317 shares of the shipping company's stock worth $28,000 after buying an additional 2,944 shares in the last quarter. Triumph Capital Management bought a new stake in SFL in the third quarter valued at $32,000. Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB publ acquired a new position in SFL during the second quarter worth $50,000. Signaturefd LLC raised its stake in SFL by 30.5% during the fourth quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 6,008 shares of the shipping company's stock worth $47,000 after acquiring an additional 1,405 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. bought a new position in shares of SFL during the fourth quarter valued at $47,000. 28.59% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

SFL Company Profile

Ship Finance International Limited NYSE: SFL is an independent owner of modern, large-size ocean-going vessels that provides finance and leasing services to the global shipping industry. The company’s fleet encompasses a diversified mix of crude oil tankers, product and chemical tankers, liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers, dry bulk carriers, container vessels and floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) units. By structuring long-term charter agreements and bareboat leases with major oil companies, commodity traders and offshore operators, Ship Finance International seeks to deliver stable cash flows and risk-adjusted returns for its shareholders.

In its core business, Ship Finance International acquires or finances vessels through forward sales agreements and then charters them out under fixed-rate contracts, typically ranging from five to 20 years in duration.

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