Adage Capital Partners GP L.L.C. Boosts Stake in UMB Financial Co. (NASDAQ:UMBF)

Adage Capital Partners GP L.L.C. lifted its holdings in shares of UMB Financial Co. (NASDAQ:UMBF - Free Report) by 298.0% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 301,708 shares of the bank's stock after acquiring an additional 225,908 shares during the period. Adage Capital Partners GP L.L.C. owned 0.62% of UMB Financial worth $34,051,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its position in shares of UMB Financial by 1.0% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 4,762,481 shares of the bank's stock valued at $537,494,000 after purchasing an additional 48,507 shares during the period. Wellington Management Group LLP grew its position in shares of UMB Financial by 5.3% during the fourth quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 2,021,285 shares of the bank's stock worth $228,122,000 after acquiring an additional 102,104 shares during the last quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. increased its holdings in shares of UMB Financial by 403.7% in the 3rd quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 866,848 shares of the bank's stock valued at $91,114,000 after acquiring an additional 694,751 shares during the period. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised its position in UMB Financial by 31.0% in the 4th quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 415,607 shares of the bank's stock valued at $46,905,000 after purchasing an additional 98,427 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Invesco Ltd. boosted its stake in UMB Financial by 31.4% during the 4th quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 309,980 shares of the bank's stock worth $34,984,000 after purchasing an additional 74,038 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 87.78% of the company's stock.

UMB Financial Price Performance

Shares of UMBF stock traded down $1.11 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $95.66. 465,936 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 529,520. The firm has a market cap of $7.26 billion, a PE ratio of 10.64 and a beta of 0.71. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11, a current ratio of 0.75 and a quick ratio of 0.75. The firm's 50 day simple moving average is $98.98 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $110.55. UMB Financial Co. has a 1-year low of $76.00 and a 1-year high of $129.94.

UMB Financial (NASDAQ:UMBF - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, January 28th. The bank reported $2.49 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.25 by $0.24. UMB Financial had a return on equity of 13.73% and a net margin of 15.76%. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $2.29 EPS. On average, equities research analysts expect that UMB Financial Co. will post 9.66 EPS for the current fiscal year.

UMB Financial Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, April 1st. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 10th were issued a dividend of $0.40 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 10th. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.67%. UMB Financial's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 17.80%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have recently commented on UMBF. Morgan Stanley reduced their target price on shares of UMB Financial from $156.00 to $146.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, March 13th. Barclays dropped their target price on UMB Financial from $139.00 to $125.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, April 8th. Bank of America started coverage on shares of UMB Financial in a research report on Wednesday, April 16th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $105.00 price objective on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their target price on shares of UMB Financial from $120.00 to $105.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, April 9th. Finally, StockNews.com raised shares of UMB Financial from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Thursday, April 3rd. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, UMB Financial has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $122.13.

Insider Buying and Selling at UMB Financial

In other news, CEO J Mariner Kemper sold 3,500 shares of UMB Financial stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $108.61, for a total transaction of $380,135.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 334,347 shares in the company, valued at $36,313,427.67. The trade was a 1.04 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director Kevin Charles Gallagher sold 527 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $114.13, for a total transaction of $60,146.51. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 13,010 shares in the company, valued at $1,484,831.30. The trade was a 3.89 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 5.45% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

UMB Financial Profile

UMB Financial Corporation operates as the bank holding company that provides banking services and asset servicing in the United States and internationally. The Commercial Banking segment provides commercial loans and credit card; commercial real estate financing; letters of credit; loan syndication, and consultative service; various business solutions including asset-based lending, mezzanine debt, and minority equity investment; and treasury management service, such as depository service, account reconciliation, cash management tool, accounts payable and receivable solution, electronic fund transfer and automated payment, controlled disbursement, lockbox service, and remote deposit capture service.