KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS Makes New $467,000 Investment in Banner Co. (NASDAQ:BANR)

KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS bought a new stake in Banner Co. (NASDAQ:BANR - Free Report) in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund bought 7,000 shares of the financial services provider's stock, valued at approximately $467,000.

A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Financial Life Planners bought a new stake in Banner during the 4th quarter worth approximately $32,000. USA Financial Formulas purchased a new stake in shares of Banner during the fourth quarter worth $32,000. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Banner by 167.0% in the fourth quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 705 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $47,000 after acquiring an additional 441 shares during the period. KBC Group NV increased its holdings in Banner by 46.0% during the 4th quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 1,656 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $111,000 after acquiring an additional 522 shares during the period. Finally, US Bancorp DE lifted its stake in Banner by 21.8% in the 4th quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 1,749 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $117,000 after purchasing an additional 313 shares in the last quarter. 87.33% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have recently weighed in on BANR. DA Davidson upped their price target on shares of Banner from $73.00 to $76.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Friday, January 24th. Stephens restated an "overweight" rating and issued a $82.00 target price on shares of Banner in a research note on Thursday, January 23rd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $74.20.

Banner Price Performance

NASDAQ BANR traded up $0.02 during trading hours on Tuesday, reaching $57.20. 261,555 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 209,767. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $65.75 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $67.16. Banner Co. has a 1 year low of $42.00 and a 1 year high of $78.05. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32, a current ratio of 0.86 and a quick ratio of 0.85. The company has a market cap of $1.97 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.72 and a beta of 0.94.

Banner (NASDAQ:BANR - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 22nd. The financial services provider reported $1.33 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.22 by $0.11. Banner had a return on equity of 10.03% and a net margin of 20.28%. On average, analysts predict that Banner Co. will post 5.23 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Banner Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 14th. Investors of record on Tuesday, February 4th were issued a dividend of $0.48 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, February 4th. This represents a $1.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.36%. Banner's dividend payout ratio is currently 39.34%.

About Banner

Banner Corporation operates as the bank holding company for Banner Bank that engages in the provision of commercial banking and financial products and services to individuals, businesses, and public sector entities in the United States. It accepts various deposit instruments, including interest-bearing and non-interest-bearing checking accounts, money market deposit accounts, regular savings accounts, and certificates of deposit, as well as treasury management services and retirement savings plans.