First Savings Financial Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSFG) Short Interest Update

First Savings Financial Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSFG - Get Free Report) was the target of a large growth in short interest in December. As of December 15th, there was short interest totalling 9,500 shares, a growth of 55.7% from the November 30th total of 6,100 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 16,700 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 0.6 days.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On First Savings Financial Group

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of FSFG. Empowered Funds LLC grew its stake in shares of First Savings Financial Group by 5.3% in the third quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 32,198 shares of the bank's stock worth $767,000 after purchasing an additional 1,608 shares during the last quarter. Cerity Partners LLC grew its position in shares of First Savings Financial Group by 166.0% in the 3rd quarter. Cerity Partners LLC now owns 68,421 shares of the bank's stock worth $1,629,000 after buying an additional 42,696 shares during the last quarter. Fourthstone LLC increased its stake in shares of First Savings Financial Group by 166.2% during the third quarter. Fourthstone LLC now owns 214,671 shares of the bank's stock valued at $5,111,000 after buying an additional 134,029 shares during the period. Barclays PLC raised its holdings in shares of First Savings Financial Group by 72.9% during the third quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 3,396 shares of the bank's stock valued at $81,000 after acquiring an additional 1,432 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in First Savings Financial Group by 1.2% in the third quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 58,253 shares of the bank's stock worth $1,387,000 after acquiring an additional 690 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 35.22% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have commented on the stock. StockNews.com raised shares of First Savings Financial Group from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday. Piper Sandler lifted their target price on shares of First Savings Financial Group from $27.50 to $31.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 30th. Finally, Hovde Group assumed coverage on shares of First Savings Financial Group in a research report on Wednesday, September 11th. They set a "market perform" rating and a $24.00 price target for the company.

First Savings Financial Group Trading Down 1.5 %

FSFG stock traded down $0.38 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $25.80. The company had a trading volume of 11,018 shares, compared to its average volume of 9,308. The company has a current ratio of 1.16, a quick ratio of 1.09 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.83. First Savings Financial Group has a 52 week low of $14.55 and a 52 week high of $30.94. The stock has a market cap of $177.97 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.03 and a beta of 0.73. The stock's 50 day moving average price is $27.92 and its 200 day moving average price is $23.70.

First Savings Financial Group Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 31st. Shareholders of record on Monday, December 16th will be given a dividend of $0.15 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, December 16th. This represents a $0.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.33%. First Savings Financial Group's payout ratio is currently 30.30%.

About First Savings Financial Group

First Savings Financial Group, Inc operates as the bank holding company for First Savings Bank that provides various financial services to consumers and businesses in southern Indiana. The company operates through three segments: Core Banking, SBA Lending, and Mortgage Banking. It accepts deposits, such as checking accounts, NOW and money market accounts, regular savings accounts, and time deposits.