C&F Financial (NASDAQ:CFFI) Stock Rating Upgraded by StockNews.com

StockNews.com upgraded shares of C&F Financial (NASDAQ:CFFI - Free Report) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note released on Sunday morning.

C&F Financial Price Performance

NASDAQ:CFFI traded up $1.30 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $66.63. 819 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 13,946. C&F Financial has a 12-month low of $36.01 and a 12-month high of $89.90. The company has a quick ratio of 0.88, a current ratio of 0.90 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41. The company has a market cap of $215.87 million, a PE ratio of 11.05 and a beta of 0.32. The business's 50-day moving average price is $68.95 and its 200 day moving average price is $70.58.

C&F Financial (NASDAQ:CFFI - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, January 28th. The financial services provider reported $1.87 earnings per share for the quarter. C&F Financial had a net margin of 11.67% and a return on equity of 8.97%.

C&F Financial Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, April 1st. Investors of record on Friday, March 14th were given a $0.46 dividend. This represents a $1.84 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.76%. This is a boost from C&F Financial's previous quarterly dividend of $0.44. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, March 14th. C&F Financial's dividend payout ratio is 30.51%.

Insider Activity at C&F Financial

In other C&F Financial news, CEO Mark A. Fox sold 1,032 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $81.00, for a total transaction of $83,592.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 11,005 shares in the company, valued at $891,405. This trade represents a 8.57 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 6.30% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On C&F Financial

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of CFFI. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company boosted its stake in shares of C&F Financial by 0.3% in the 4th quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 107,585 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $7,665,000 after purchasing an additional 327 shares in the last quarter. Truffle Hound Capital LLC bought a new position in shares of C&F Financial during the fourth quarter valued at about $5,344,000. Bridgeway Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in C&F Financial by 1.1% during the 4th quarter. Bridgeway Capital Management LLC now owns 42,893 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $3,056,000 after acquiring an additional 471 shares during the period. Susquehanna International Group LLP increased its stake in C&F Financial by 412.7% in the 4th quarter. Susquehanna International Group LLP now owns 39,111 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $2,787,000 after purchasing an additional 31,482 shares during the period. Finally, Rhino Investment Partners Inc bought a new stake in C&F Financial in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $2,020,000. 37.23% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About C&F Financial

C&F Financial Corp. is a bank holding company, which engages in the provision of banking services to individuals and businesses. It operates through the following segments: Community Banking, Mortgage Banking and Consumer Finance. The Community Banking segment provides checking and savings deposit accounts, business, real estate, development, mortgage, home equity, and installment loans.