Stifel Financial Corp. (NYSE:SF) Given Average Recommendation of "Hold" by Brokerages

Stifel Financial Corp. (NYSE:SF - Get Free Report) has received an average recommendation of "Hold" from the eight analysts that are currently covering the stock, Marketbeat reports. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 12-month target price among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $117.71.

SF has been the topic of several analyst reports. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on shares of Stifel Financial from $128.00 to $135.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Thursday, January 30th. StockNews.com upgraded Stifel Financial from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, March 6th. UBS Group increased their target price on Stifel Financial from $116.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Monday, February 3rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. initiated coverage on Stifel Financial in a research note on Tuesday, December 10th. They issued a "neutral" rating and a $120.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Citigroup increased their price objective on Stifel Financial from $110.00 to $115.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Friday, January 10th.

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Institutional Investors Weigh In On Stifel Financial

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. V Square Quantitative Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Stifel Financial during the fourth quarter valued at $26,000. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB grew its holdings in shares of Stifel Financial by 123.6% during the first quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB now owns 331 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $31,000 after buying an additional 183 shares in the last quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. raised its position in shares of Stifel Financial by 52.1% in the fourth quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 321 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $34,000 after buying an additional 110 shares during the last quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc lifted its stake in shares of Stifel Financial by 46.5% during the fourth quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 457 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $48,000 after buying an additional 145 shares during the period. Finally, Quarry LP purchased a new position in shares of Stifel Financial during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $49,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 82.01% of the company's stock.

Stifel Financial Stock Performance

SF traded up $0.49 on Friday, hitting $95.29. 125,103 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 763,790. Stifel Financial has a 12-month low of $73.51 and a 12-month high of $120.64. The company has a 50 day moving average of $104.83 and a 200-day moving average of $105.41. The company has a quick ratio of 0.78, a current ratio of 0.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27. The stock has a market capitalization of $9.89 billion, a PE ratio of 15.27 and a beta of 1.08.

Stifel Financial (NYSE:SF - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 29th. The financial services provider reported $2.23 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.96 by $0.27. Stifel Financial had a return on equity of 16.59% and a net margin of 14.00%. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Stifel Financial will post 8.26 earnings per share for the current year.

Stifel Financial Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 17th. Investors of record on Monday, March 3rd were paid a $0.46 dividend. This represents a $1.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.93%. This is a boost from Stifel Financial's previous quarterly dividend of $0.42. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 3rd. Stifel Financial's dividend payout ratio is presently 29.49%.

Stifel Financial Company Profile

Stifel Financial Corp., a financial services and bank holding company, provides retail and institutional wealth management, and investment banking services to individual investors, corporations, municipalities, and institutions in the United States and internationally. It operates in three segments: Global Wealth Management, Institutional Group, and Other.