Sound Financial Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ:SFBC) Short Interest Up 56.5% in March

Key Points

• Short interest rose 56.5% to 72,430 shares as of March 31 (up from 46,268 on March 15), representing a 4.7‑day short‑interest ratio and about 3.2% of the company's stock sold short.
• Dividend increased — the quarterly payout was raised from $0.19 to $0.21 (annualized $0.84), yielding 1.8% with a dividend payout ratio of 30.32%.
• Analyst coverage is limited but cautious, with a consensus rating of "Hold", and institutional investors own roughly 68.85% of the company (notable accumulation by Graham Capital to 90,346 shares).

Sound Financial Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ:SFBC - Get Free Report) saw a large increase in short interest during the month of March. As of March 31st, there was short interest totaling 72,430 shares, an increase of 56.5% from the March 15th total of 46,268 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 15,340 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 4.7 days. Currently, 3.2% of the company's stock are short sold.

Analyst Ratings Changes

SFBC has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Sound Financial Bancorp to a "hold" rating in a research report on Saturday, March 21st. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "hold (c)" rating on shares of Sound Financial Bancorp in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Hold rating, According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Hold".

Institutional Trading of Sound Financial Bancorp

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Russell Investments Group Ltd. boosted its stake in Sound Financial Bancorp by 168.3% during the 4th quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 1,387 shares of the bank's stock worth $61,000 after purchasing an additional 870 shares during the period. Barclays PLC boosted its stake in Sound Financial Bancorp by 8.7% during the 4th quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 4,402 shares of the bank's stock worth $192,000 after purchasing an additional 354 shares during the period. Wells Fargo & Company MN boosted its stake in Sound Financial Bancorp by 40.6% during the 4th quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN now owns 2,628 shares of the bank's stock worth $115,000 after purchasing an additional 759 shares during the period. Renaissance Technologies LLC purchased a new position in Sound Financial Bancorp in the 4th quarter valued at $271,000. Finally, Graham Capital Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in Sound Financial Bancorp by 275.4% in the 4th quarter. Graham Capital Wealth Management LLC now owns 90,346 shares of the bank's stock valued at $3,942,000 after buying an additional 66,280 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 68.85% of the company's stock.

Sound Financial Bancorp Trading Up 2.2%

NASDAQ SFBC opened at $45.65 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.16, a current ratio of 1.09 and a quick ratio of 1.09. The firm's fifty day moving average price is $43.20 and its 200 day moving average price is $44.08. The company has a market capitalization of $117.32 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.48 and a beta of 0.05. Sound Financial Bancorp has a 12 month low of $40.68 and a 12 month high of $51.99.

Sound Financial Bancorp (NASDAQ:SFBC - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, January 27th. The bank reported $0.87 EPS for the quarter. The firm had revenue of $9.53 million for the quarter. Sound Financial Bancorp had a net margin of 11.64% and a return on equity of 6.70%.

Sound Financial Bancorp Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, February 23rd. Investors of record on Monday, February 9th were paid a dividend of $0.21 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, February 9th. This represents a $0.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.8%. This is an increase from Sound Financial Bancorp's previous quarterly dividend of $0.19. Sound Financial Bancorp's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 30.32%.

Sound Financial Bancorp Company Profile

Sound Financial Bancorp, Inc is a bank holding company and the parent of Sound Community Bank, a community‐oriented financial institution headquartered in University Place, Washington. Through its subsidiary, the company delivers a broad array of banking and financial services to individuals, small businesses and commercial clients throughout the Puget Sound region. Emphasizing relationship banking, Sound Financial Bancorp seeks to support local economic development by offering personalized service and community engagement.

The company's core offerings include deposit products such as checking and savings accounts, money market accounts and certificates of deposit, as well as a full spectrum of lending solutions.

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