16,725 Shares in Saul Centers, Inc. (NYSE:BFS) Acquired by Zacks Investment Management

Zacks Investment Management acquired a new position in shares of Saul Centers, Inc. (NYSE:BFS - Free Report) during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor acquired 16,725 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock, valued at approximately $702,000. Zacks Investment Management owned 0.07% of Saul Centers as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in BFS. Renaissance Technologies LLC boosted its position in shares of Saul Centers by 10.2% during the second quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 228,474 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $8,401,000 after buying an additional 21,100 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its stake in Saul Centers by 2.6% during the 2nd quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 209,840 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $7,715,000 after purchasing an additional 5,330 shares in the last quarter. Millennium Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Saul Centers in the 2nd quarter worth $3,272,000. AQR Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Saul Centers by 115.0% in the second quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 59,675 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $2,194,000 after buying an additional 31,919 shares during the period. Finally, GSA Capital Partners LLP boosted its stake in Saul Centers by 17.1% during the third quarter. GSA Capital Partners LLP now owns 43,083 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $1,808,000 after buying an additional 6,301 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 49.99% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts have commented on BFS shares. B. Riley boosted their price target on shares of Saul Centers from $43.50 to $45.50 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, August 22nd. StockNews.com raised shares of Saul Centers from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, December 5th.

Saul Centers Trading Down 0.1 %

Shares of NYSE:BFS traded down $0.04 during midday trading on Wednesday, reaching $40.34. The company had a trading volume of 42,864 shares, compared to its average volume of 51,720. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $40.27 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $39.18. The firm has a market cap of $975.06 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.92 and a beta of 1.11. Saul Centers, Inc. has a 1-year low of $34.87 and a 1-year high of $42.39. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.61, a quick ratio of 1.13 and a current ratio of 1.13.

Saul Centers Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, January 31st. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, January 15th will be given a $0.59 dividend. This represents a $2.36 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.85%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, January 15th. Saul Centers's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 128.26%.

About Saul Centers

Saul Centers is a self-managed, self-administered equity REIT headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland. Saul Centers currently operates and manages a real estate portfolio comprised of 61 properties that includes (a) 57 community and neighborhood Shopping Centers and Mixed-Use properties with approximately 9.8 million square feet of leasable area and (b) four land and development properties.