Sierra Bancorp (NASDAQ:BSRR) Stock Crosses Above Two Hundred Day Moving Average - What's Next?

Sierra Bancorp (NASDAQ:BSRR - Get Free Report) shares crossed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Tuesday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $28.77 and traded as high as $29.08. Sierra Bancorp shares last traded at $29.01, with a volume of 39,098 shares traded.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages have recently weighed in on BSRR. StockNews.com raised Sierra Bancorp from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Saturday, November 16th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods increased their price target on shares of Sierra Bancorp from $30.00 to $35.00 and gave the stock a "market perform" rating in a report on Wednesday, December 4th.

Sierra Bancorp Stock Performance

The firm's fifty day simple moving average is $30.50 and its 200 day simple moving average is $28.82. The company has a market capitalization of $429.80 million, a PE ratio of 11.85 and a beta of 0.92. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.46, a current ratio of 0.79 and a quick ratio of 0.79.

Sierra Bancorp (NASDAQ:BSRR - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Monday, October 21st. The financial services provider reported $0.74 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.73 by $0.01. Sierra Bancorp had a return on equity of 10.48% and a net margin of 17.91%. The firm had revenue of $52.59 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $38.30 million. On average, research analysts predict that Sierra Bancorp will post 2.79 EPS for the current year.

Sierra Bancorp Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, November 12th. Investors of record on Thursday, October 31st were paid a $0.24 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, October 31st. This represents a $0.96 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.22%. Sierra Bancorp's dividend payout ratio is presently 38.10%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Sierra Bancorp

In other Sierra Bancorp news, Director Albert L. Berra sold 2,540 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Thursday, November 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $32.24, for a total transaction of $81,889.60. Following the transaction, the director now owns 150,063 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $4,838,031.12. The trade was a 1.66 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director James C. Holly sold 5,000 shares of Sierra Bancorp stock in a transaction on Tuesday, November 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $28.98, for a total value of $144,900.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 313,370 shares in the company, valued at approximately $9,081,462.60. This represents a 1.57 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 8,056 shares of company stock worth $244,741. Corporate insiders own 11.63% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Sierra Bancorp

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Zacks Investment Management purchased a new position in Sierra Bancorp in the third quarter worth approximately $2,818,000. Segall Bryant & Hamill LLC acquired a new position in shares of Sierra Bancorp in the 3rd quarter valued at $1,146,000. Foundry Partners LLC grew its holdings in shares of Sierra Bancorp by 19.2% during the 3rd quarter. Foundry Partners LLC now owns 176,985 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $5,111,000 after purchasing an additional 28,495 shares during the period. FMR LLC raised its holdings in Sierra Bancorp by 12.5% in the 3rd quarter. FMR LLC now owns 194,573 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $5,619,000 after buying an additional 21,558 shares during the period. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted its position in Sierra Bancorp by 40.6% in the third quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 65,858 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $1,902,000 after buying an additional 19,025 shares during the last quarter. 55.40% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Sierra Bancorp

Sierra Bancorp operates as the bank holding company for Bank of the Sierra that provides retail and commercial banking services to individuals and businesses in California. It accepts various deposit products, such as checking accounts, savings accounts, money market demand accounts, time deposits, retirement accounts, and sweep accounts.