SFL (NYSE:SFL) Upgraded to "Hold" at Wall Street Zen

Key Points

• Wall Street Zen upgraded SFL from a "sell" to a "hold," and other firms (BTIG, Weiss) have also raised ratings, leaving a MarketBeat consensus of "Moderate Buy" with an average price target of $12.00.
• The company reported Q4 revenue of $175.51 million (down 23.1% year-over-year) and EPS of ($0.04), with negative net margin and return on equity, while the stock trades near $10.58 and has a market cap of about $1.53 billion.
• Institutional ownership is roughly 28.6%, with large investors like American Century and Mirae Asset recently increasing their positions in SFL.

SFL (NYSE:SFL - Get Free Report) was upgraded by equities research analysts at Wall Street Zen from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Saturday.

Other analysts also recently issued reports about the company. BTIG Research increased their price target on SFL from $11.00 to $12.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. Weiss Ratings upgraded SFL from a "sell (d+)" rating to a "hold (c-)" rating in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. 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 MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $12.00.

SFL Stock Performance

Shares of SFL stock opened at $10.58 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.04, a quick ratio of 0.35 and a current ratio of 0.36. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.53 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -52.88 and a beta of 0.41. SFL has a one year low of $6.73 and a one year high of $11.28. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $9.94 and a 200 day moving average price of $8.54.

SFL (NYSE:SFL - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 11th. The shipping company reported ($0.04) earnings per share for the quarter. SFL had a negative net margin of 3.61% and a negative return on equity of 0.30%. The company had revenue of $175.51 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $168.36 million. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $0.15 EPS. The firm's revenue for the quarter was down 23.1% compared to the same quarter last year.

Institutional Trading of SFL

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of SFL. American Century Companies Inc. lifted its stake in shares of SFL by 27.2% in the second quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 3,297,605 shares of the shipping company's stock worth $27,469,000 after acquiring an additional 704,710 shares in the last quarter. Fearnley Asset Management AS acquired a new stake in SFL during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $2,596,000. Trexquant Investment LP acquired a new stake in SFL during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $2,280,000. Credit Agricole S A purchased a new stake in SFL during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $2,064,000. Finally, MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. raised its position in shares of SFL by 7.2% in the 2nd quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 2,806,744 shares of the shipping company's stock valued at $23,380,000 after purchasing an additional 188,441 shares in the last quarter. 28.59% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About SFL

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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