EAM Investors LLC Invests $4.64 Million in Stifel Financial Corp. (NYSE:SF)

EAM Investors LLC bought a new position in Stifel Financial Corp. (NYSE:SF - Free Report) during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor bought 43,759 shares of the financial services provider's stock, valued at approximately $4,642,000.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. V Square Quantitative Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Stifel Financial during the 4th quarter valued at about $26,000. Bessemer Group Inc. grew its holdings in Stifel Financial by 52.1% in the fourth quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 321 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $34,000 after purchasing an additional 110 shares during the period. Versant Capital Management Inc increased its position in shares of Stifel Financial by 46.5% in the fourth quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 457 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $48,000 after buying an additional 145 shares in the last quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Stifel Financial by 26.6% during the 4th quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 528 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $56,000 after buying an additional 111 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. grew its stake in Stifel Financial by 84.3% in the 4th quarter. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. now owns 553 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $59,000 after acquiring an additional 253 shares during the period. 82.01% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Stifel Financial Trading Up 1.8 %

Shares of SF traded up $1.48 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $85.13. The stock had a trading volume of 1,029,933 shares, compared to its average volume of 667,162. Stifel Financial Corp. has a 52-week low of $73.27 and a 52-week high of $120.64. The firm has a market cap of $8.83 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.64 and a beta of 1.00. The business's fifty day moving average is $96.18 and its 200 day moving average is $104.29. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27, a current ratio of 0.82 and a quick ratio of 0.78.

Stifel Financial (NYSE:SF - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 29th. The financial services provider reported $2.23 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.96 by $0.27. Stifel Financial had a net margin of 14.00% and a return on equity of 16.59%. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Stifel Financial Corp. will post 8.26 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Stifel Financial Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 17th. Investors of record on Monday, March 3rd were given a dividend of $0.46 per share. This represents a $1.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.16%. This is an increase from Stifel Financial's previous quarterly dividend of $0.42. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 3rd. Stifel Financial's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 29.49%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. UBS Group lifted their target price on shares of Stifel Financial from $116.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Monday, February 3rd. StockNews.com upgraded Stifel Financial from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, March 6th. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their target price on Stifel Financial from $135.00 to $106.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, April 8th. Citigroup reduced their price objective on Stifel Financial from $125.00 to $105.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, April 2nd. Finally, TD Cowen lowered their target price on shares of Stifel Financial from $124.00 to $84.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, April 9th. Six analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $105.71.

Stifel Financial Profile

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.