KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS Buys New Holdings in Simmons First National Co. (NASDAQ:SFNC)

KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS acquired a new position in Simmons First National Co. (NASDAQ:SFNC - Free Report) during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm acquired 25,900 shares of the bank's stock, valued at approximately $579,000.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the business. FMR LLC increased its stake in Simmons First National by 5.5% in the 3rd quarter. FMR LLC now owns 7,778 shares of the bank's stock worth $168,000 after acquiring an additional 403 shares during the last quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets grew its holdings in shares of Simmons First National by 48.3% during the third quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 40,294 shares of the bank's stock worth $868,000 after purchasing an additional 13,124 shares in the last quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank increased its position in shares of Simmons First National by 36.5% in the third quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank now owns 33,822 shares of the bank's stock worth $729,000 after purchasing an additional 9,049 shares during the last quarter. Verition Fund Management LLC purchased a new stake in Simmons First National in the third quarter valued at approximately $237,000. Finally, Centiva Capital LP bought a new stake in Simmons First National during the third quarter valued at approximately $354,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 27.58% of the company's stock.

Simmons First National Price Performance

Shares of SFNC traded down $0.03 during midday trading on Monday, reaching $18.23. The stock had a trading volume of 928,879 shares, compared to its average volume of 581,534. The company has a current ratio of 0.79, a quick ratio of 0.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32. The company has a market capitalization of $2.30 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.07 and a beta of 0.82. The company's 50-day moving average is $21.33 and its 200 day moving average is $22.41. Simmons First National Co. has a 12-month low of $13.50 and a 12-month high of $25.95.

Simmons First National (NASDAQ:SFNC - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, January 21st. The bank reported $0.39 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.36 by $0.03. The business had revenue of $208.50 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $208.67 million. Simmons First National had a return on equity of 5.10% and a net margin of 10.46%. Simmons First National's revenue for the quarter was up 17.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.40 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts predict that Simmons First National Co. will post 1.66 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Simmons First National Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, April 1st. Investors of record on Friday, March 14th were issued a dividend of $0.2125 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, March 14th. This represents a $0.85 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.66%. This is a positive change from Simmons First National's previous quarterly dividend of $0.21. Simmons First National's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 70.25%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, Stephens decreased their price target on shares of Simmons First National from $29.00 to $28.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, January 23rd.

Simmons First National Company Profile

Simmons First National Corporation operates as the holding company for Simmons Bank that provides banking and other financial products and services to individuals and businesses. The company offers checking, savings, and time deposits; consumer, real estate, and commercial loans; agricultural finance, equipment, and small business administration lending; trust and fiduciary services; credit cards; investment management products; treasury management; insurance products; and securities and investment services.