Simmons First National (NASDAQ:SFNC) Stock Price Expected to Rise, Stephens Analyst Says

Key Points

• Stephens raised its price target on Simmons First National to $25 (from $24) and maintains an "overweight" rating, implying about a 14.13% upside from the prior close.
• The stock trades around $21.90 with a consensus analyst rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target of $21.86; the company has a market cap of about $3.18 billion and 50-/200-day averages of $20.09/$19.33.
• Simmons announced a $175 million buyback authorization (~5.7% of shares) and reported Q earnings of $0.47 EPS (meeting estimates) with revenue up 15.2% year-over-year, despite a negative net margin.

Simmons First National (NASDAQ:SFNC - Get Free Report) had its target price raised by analysts at Stephens from $24.00 to $25.00 in a report released on Monday,Benzinga reports. The firm presently has an "overweight" rating on the bank's stock. Stephens' price target points to a potential upside of 14.13% from the company's previous close.

Other research analysts also recently issued research reports about the stock. Raymond James Financial upgraded shares of Simmons First National from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $23.00 price objective on the stock in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. Weiss Ratings reissued a "sell (d+)" rating on shares of Simmons First National in a research note on Friday, March 27th. National Bank Financial set a $21.00 price objective on shares of Simmons First National in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. DA Davidson reiterated a "neutral" rating and set a $21.00 target price on shares of Simmons First National in a research report on Friday. Finally, Zacks Research lowered shares of Simmons First National from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Thursday, March 26th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have issued a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Simmons First National currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $21.86.

Simmons First National Stock Up 1.8%

Shares of Simmons First National stock traded up $0.38 on Monday, hitting $21.90. 1,383,061 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,260,992. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $20.09 and a 200 day moving average price of $19.33. The company has a quick ratio of 0.90, a current ratio of 0.90 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22. Simmons First National has a 12-month low of $17.00 and a 12-month high of $22.17. The company has a market cap of $3.18 billion, a PE ratio of -8.56 and a beta of 0.89.

Simmons First National (NASDAQ:SFNC - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 16th. The bank reported $0.47 EPS for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $0.47. Simmons First National had a negative net margin of 25.44% and a positive return on equity of 7.81%. The business had revenue of $241.37 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $243.02 million. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $0.26 EPS. Simmons First National's revenue was up 15.2% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts predict that Simmons First National will post 1.66 earnings per share for the current year.

Simmons First National announced that its board has authorized a stock buyback program on Tuesday, February 17th that permits the company to repurchase $175.00 million in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization permits the bank to repurchase up to 5.7% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase programs are typically an indication that the company's board believes its stock is undervalued.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Simmons First National

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans raised its holdings in Simmons First National by 52.0% in the third quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans now owns 146,633 shares of the bank's stock worth $2,811,000 after purchasing an additional 50,145 shares during the period. Wesbanco Bank Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Simmons First National during the third quarter worth $1,810,000. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd grew its position in Simmons First National by 396.5% in the third quarter. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd now owns 164,577 shares of the bank's stock valued at $3,155,000 after purchasing an additional 131,431 shares in the last quarter. Ghisallo Capital Management LLC bought a new position in Simmons First National in the third quarter valued at $4,313,000. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP grew its position in Simmons First National by 2.3% in the third quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 7,630,535 shares of the bank's stock valued at $146,279,000 after purchasing an additional 169,768 shares in the last quarter. 27.58% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Simmons First National

Simmons First National Corporation NASDAQ: SFNC is a bank holding company headquartered in Pine Bluff, Arkansas. Through its primary operating subsidiary, Simmons Bank, the company maintains a network of more than 200 branches across Arkansas, Tennessee, Missouri, Mississippi, Texas, Oklahoma and North Carolina. Simmons First National offers a full suite of financial services to individuals, small businesses and commercial clients, emphasizing relationship-driven community banking.

The company's core business activities span deposit-taking, lending and payment services.

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