Guild (NYSE:GHLD) Sees Large Volume Increase - Still a Buy?

Shares of Guild Holdings (NYSE:GHLD - Get Free Report) saw unusually-strong trading volume on Wednesday . Approximately 9,966 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 20% from the previous session's volume of 12,472 shares.The stock last traded at $14.53 and had previously closed at $14.92.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts recently commented on GHLD shares. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on Guild from $15.00 to $17.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Friday, August 9th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price objective on Guild from $16.00 to $17.00 and gave the company an "underweight" rating in a research note on Monday, October 7th. JMP Securities upped their price target on shares of Guild from $14.00 to $16.50 and gave the company a "market outperform" rating in a report on Friday, June 28th. Finally, Wedbush increased their price objective on Guild from $17.00 to $19.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Friday, August 9th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has assigned a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $17.50.

Guild Stock Down 0.6 %

The company has a market capitalization of $909.73 million, a P/E ratio of 35.17, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.30 and a beta of 1.04. The company has a 50-day moving average of $16.20 and a two-hundred day moving average of $15.06. The company has a quick ratio of 0.05, a current ratio of 0.05 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76.

Guild (NYSE:GHLD - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 8th. The company reported $0.45 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.24 by $0.21. The company had revenue of $285.69 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $257.97 million. Guild had a net margin of 3.28% and a return on equity of 5.83%. On average, research analysts predict that Guild Holdings will post 1.41 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Guild

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Castleview Partners LLC bought a new position in Guild in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $79,000. O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Guild in the first quarter worth approximately $149,000. Renaissance Technologies LLC raised its holdings in shares of Guild by 8.2% during the second quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 27,700 shares of the company's stock valued at $410,000 after purchasing an additional 2,100 shares during the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC lifted its position in Guild by 8.2% during the first quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 237,853 shares of the company's stock valued at $3,508,000 after purchasing an additional 17,992 shares during the period. Finally, Donald Smith & CO. Inc. grew its position in Guild by 2.1% in the 1st quarter. Donald Smith & CO. Inc. now owns 440,878 shares of the company's stock worth $6,503,000 after purchasing an additional 9,126 shares during the period. 17.52% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Guild Company Profile

Guild Holdings Company originates, sells, and services residential mortgage loans in the United States. It operates in two segments, Origination and Servicing. The company offers residential mortgages through retail and correspondent channels. Guild Holdings Company was incorporated in 1960 and is headquartered in San Diego, California.