Short Interest in BCB Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ:BCBP) Rises By 19.5%

BCB Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ:BCBP - Get Free Report) was the target of a large increase in short interest in January. As of January 31st, there was short interest totalling 142,100 shares, an increase of 19.5% from the January 15th total of 118,900 shares. Approximately 1.0% of the company's stock are sold short. Based on an average trading volume of 52,300 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 2.7 days.

BCB Bancorp Price Performance

NASDAQ BCBP traded down $0.21 during trading on Wednesday, reaching $10.24. The company's stock had a trading volume of 45,225 shares, compared to its average volume of 54,960. BCB Bancorp has a one year low of $9.19 and a one year high of $14.04. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.79, a current ratio of 1.23 and a quick ratio of 1.23. The stock has a market capitalization of $174.59 million, a PE ratio of 10.45 and a beta of 0.60. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $11.39 and a 200 day moving average of $12.02.

BCB Bancorp (NASDAQ:BCBP - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, January 28th. The bank reported $0.16 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.29 by ($0.13). BCB Bancorp had a return on equity of 6.33% and a net margin of 9.46%. Analysts expect that BCB Bancorp will post 1.24 EPS for the current fiscal year.

BCB Bancorp Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, February 24th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 7th will be paid a $0.16 dividend. This represents a $0.64 annualized dividend and a yield of 6.25%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 7th. BCB Bancorp's dividend payout ratio is presently 65.31%.

Insider Buying and Selling at BCB Bancorp

In other news, COO Ryan Blake sold 8,677 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, December 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $13.06, for a total transaction of $113,321.62. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer now directly owns 39,362 shares of the company's stock, valued at $514,067.72. This trade represents a 18.06 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Company insiders own 28.70% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On BCB Bancorp

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio purchased a new position in BCB Bancorp during the 4th quarter valued at about $42,000. CWM LLC raised its stake in BCB Bancorp by 105.3% in the third quarter. CWM LLC now owns 5,116 shares of the bank's stock worth $63,000 after buying an additional 2,624 shares in the last quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN raised its stake in BCB Bancorp by 27.8% in the fourth quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN now owns 8,763 shares of the bank's stock worth $104,000 after buying an additional 1,907 shares in the last quarter. First Trust Advisors LP purchased a new position in shares of BCB Bancorp in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $127,000. Finally, Trexquant Investment LP bought a new stake in shares of BCB Bancorp during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $168,000. 36.00% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have issued reports on the company. Piper Sandler lowered their target price on BCB Bancorp from $14.00 to $13.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, January 30th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods dropped their price target on shares of BCB Bancorp from $15.00 to $13.75 and set a "market perform" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, January 30th.

BCB Bancorp Company Profile

BCB Bancorp, Inc operates as a bank holding company for BCB Community Bank that engages in the provision of banking products and services to businesses and individuals in the United States. The company offers insured deposit products, including savings and club accounts, interest and non-interest-bearing demand accounts, money market accounts, certificates of deposit, and individual retirement accounts.