StockNews.com Begins Coverage on Brookline Bancorp (NASDAQ:BRKL)

Equities researchers at StockNews.com started coverage on shares of Brookline Bancorp (NASDAQ:BRKL - Get Free Report) in a report released on Tuesday. The brokerage set a "hold" rating on the bank's stock.

A number of other research analysts have also commented on BRKL. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lowered shares of Brookline Bancorp from an "outperform" rating to a "market perform" rating and set a $14.50 price objective on the stock. in a research note on Tuesday, December 24th. Raymond James raised shares of Brookline Bancorp from a "market perform" rating to a "strong-buy" rating and set a $16.00 target price on the stock in a research report on Friday, December 20th.

Brookline Bancorp Stock Performance

Shares of Brookline Bancorp stock traded down $0.17 on Tuesday, reaching $12.52. 494,313 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 567,317. The firm has a market cap of $1.12 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.26 and a beta of 0.79. Brookline Bancorp has a 1-year low of $8.01 and a 1-year high of $13.15. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.24, a quick ratio of 1.13 and a current ratio of 1.12. The company's 50-day moving average is $12.08 and its two-hundred day moving average is $11.13.

Brookline Bancorp (NASDAQ:BRKL - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, January 29th. The bank reported $0.23 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.24 by ($0.01). Brookline Bancorp had a net margin of 10.51% and a return on equity of 5.94%. As a group, research analysts expect that Brookline Bancorp will post 1.09 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Brookline Bancorp

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Versant Capital Management Inc lifted its stake in Brookline Bancorp by 124.2% in the fourth quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 2,879 shares of the bank's stock valued at $34,000 after acquiring an additional 1,595 shares during the last quarter. FMR LLC raised its holdings in shares of Brookline Bancorp by 174.9% during the 3rd quarter. FMR LLC now owns 5,154 shares of the bank's stock valued at $52,000 after purchasing an additional 3,279 shares in the last quarter. KBC Group NV lifted its stake in shares of Brookline Bancorp by 60.3% in the 4th quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 6,438 shares of the bank's stock valued at $76,000 after purchasing an additional 2,421 shares during the last quarter. Creative Planning bought a new stake in Brookline Bancorp in the third quarter worth $103,000. Finally, Townsquare Capital LLC acquired a new position in Brookline Bancorp during the third quarter worth $111,000. Institutional investors own 78.91% of the company's stock.

About Brookline Bancorp

Brookline Bancorp, Inc operates as a bank holding company for the Brookline Bank that provide commercial, business, and retail banking services to corporate, municipal, and retail customers in the United States. Its deposit products include demand checking, NOW, money market, and savings accounts. The company's loan portfolio primarily comprises first mortgage loans secured by commercial, multi-family, and residential real estate properties; loans to business entities comprising commercial lines of credit; loans to condominium associations; loans and leases used to finance equipment for small businesses; financing for construction and development projects; and home equity and other consumer loans.