Provident Financial (NASDAQ:PROV) Stock Price Passes Above 200-Day Moving Average - Time to Sell?

Shares of Provident Financial Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:PROV - Get Free Report) crossed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Thursday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $15.05 and traded as high as $15.86. Provident Financial shares last traded at $15.78, with a volume of 12,244 shares trading hands.

Analyst Ratings Changes

PROV has been the subject of several research reports. Piper Sandler decreased their target price on Provident Financial from $17.00 to $16.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, January 29th. StockNews.com initiated coverage on Provident Financial in a research note on Friday. They set a "hold" rating for the company.

Provident Financial Price Performance

The company has a 50 day moving average of $15.83 and a two-hundred day moving average of $15.12. The firm has a market cap of $106.06 million, a P/E ratio of 17.24 and a beta of 0.39. The company has a quick ratio of 1.25, a current ratio of 1.25 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.93.

Provident Financial (NASDAQ:PROV - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, January 28th. The financial services provider reported $0.13 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.26 by ($0.13). Provident Financial had a net margin of 10.39% and a return on equity of 4.80%. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $0.31 EPS. Sell-side analysts expect that Provident Financial Holdings, Inc. will post 0.9 EPS for the current year.

Provident Financial Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 6th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, February 13th will be issued a dividend of $0.14 per share. This represents a $0.56 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.57%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, February 13th. Provident Financial's dividend payout ratio is 61.54%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Provident Financial

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Empowered Funds LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Provident Financial by 4.9% during the third quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 25,657 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $368,000 after purchasing an additional 1,206 shares during the last quarter. Northern Trust Corp lifted its holdings in shares of Provident Financial by 25.9% during the fourth quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 26,464 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $421,000 after purchasing an additional 5,445 shares during the last quarter. Black Maple Capital Management LP lifted its holdings in shares of Provident Financial by 8.9% during the fourth quarter. Black Maple Capital Management LP now owns 31,128 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $495,000 after purchasing an additional 2,557 shares during the last quarter. Fourthstone LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Provident Financial during the third quarter valued at $991,000. Finally, The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company lifted its stake in Provident Financial by 7.4% in the 4th quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 334,789 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $5,326,000 after acquiring an additional 23,117 shares in the last quarter. 71.34% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Provident Financial Company Profile

Provident Financial Holdings, Inc operates as the holding company for Provident Savings Bank, F.S.B. that provides community banking services to consumers and small to mid-sized businesses in the Inland Empire region of Southern California. The company's deposit products include checking, savings, and money market accounts, as well as time deposits; and loan portfolio consists of single-family, multi-family, commercial real estate, construction, mortgage, commercial business, and consumer loans.