Stifel Financial (NYSE:SF) Raised to Hold at Wall Street Zen

Stifel Financial (NYSE:SF - Get Free Report) was upgraded by investment analysts at Wall Street Zen from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report issued on Sunday.

Several other research analysts also recently weighed in on SF. Wolfe Research upgraded Stifel Financial from a "peer perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $108.00 target price on the stock in a research note on Thursday, April 24th. JMP Securities lowered their price target on Stifel Financial from $135.00 to $120.00 and set a "market outperform" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, April 8th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on Stifel Financial from $102.00 to $125.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Friday, July 11th. The Goldman Sachs Group lowered their price target on Stifel Financial from $121.00 to $105.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, April 3rd. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price target on Stifel Financial from $123.00 to $100.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, April 11th. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $110.88.

Stifel Financial Stock Up 0.3%

Shares of Stifel Financial stock traded up $0.33 during trading on Friday, reaching $107.65. The company's stock had a trading volume of 975,450 shares, compared to its average volume of 694,638. Stifel Financial has a 1-year low of $73.27 and a 1-year high of $120.64. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $99.18 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $99.55. The company has a quick ratio of 0.77, a current ratio of 0.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.28. The company has a market cap of $11.06 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.58 and a beta of 1.09.

Stifel Financial (NYSE:SF - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, April 23rd. The financial services provider reported $0.49 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.64 by ($1.15). Stifel Financial had a return on equity of 13.88% and a net margin of 12.26%. The business had revenue of $1.26 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.32 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.49 earnings per share. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 7.9% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Stifel Financial will post 8.26 earnings per share for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director Michael J. Zimmerman sold 10,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Friday, June 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $96.69, for a total value of $966,900.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 45,833 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $4,431,592.77. This represents a 17.91% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Insiders own 4.57% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Stifel Financial

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in SF. Proficio Capital Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Stifel Financial in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $162,000. Raymond James Financial Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Stifel Financial in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $11,936,000. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank grew its position in shares of Stifel Financial by 7.6% in the fourth quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank now owns 18,115 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $1,922,000 after purchasing an additional 1,274 shares in the last quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of Stifel Financial by 10.6% in the fourth quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 8,777 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $931,000 after purchasing an additional 843 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Great Lakes Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Stifel Financial by 7.1% in the fourth quarter. Great Lakes Advisors LLC now owns 4,216 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $447,000 after acquiring an additional 280 shares during the last quarter. 82.01% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Stifel Financial

Stifel Financial Corp., a financial services and bank holding company, provides retail and institutional wealth management, and investment banking services to individual investors, corporations, municipalities, and institutions in the United States and internationally. It operates in three segments: Global Wealth Management, Institutional Group, and Other.