Stifel Financial (NYSE:SF) Hits New 52-Week High – Here’s Why

Stifel Financial Corporation (NYSE:SF)’s share price reached a new 52-week high during trading on Thursday . The company traded as high as $125.73 and last traded at $124.9280, with a volume of 715662 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $122.49.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have weighed in on SF shares. BMO Capital Markets assumed coverage on Stifel Financial in a report on Friday, October 3rd. They issued a “market perform” rating and a $121.00 price target for the company. Citigroup reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of Stifel Financial in a research note on Thursday, October 9th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Stifel Financial in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th. Stifel Nicolaus set a $131.00 price target on shares of Stifel Financial in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised shares of Stifel Financial from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Sunday, August 3rd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have given a Buy rating and five have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Stifel Financial currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $125.90.

Stifel Financial Trading Up 2.0%

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.28, a quick ratio of 0.77 and a current ratio of 0.82. The company has a market cap of $12.72 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.07 and a beta of 1.19. The company’s fifty day moving average is $114.80 and its two-hundred day moving average is $107.47.

Stifel Financial (NYSE:SF) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, October 22nd. The financial services provider reported $1.95 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.89 by $0.06. Stifel Financial had a net margin of 12.44% and a return on equity of 15.06%. The business had revenue of $1.43 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.33 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.50 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 16.7% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts anticipate that Stifel Financial Corporation will post 8.26 EPS for the current year.

Stifel Financial Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, December 15th. Shareholders of record on Monday, December 1st will be given a dividend of $0.46 per share. This represents a $1.84 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, December 1st. Stifel Financial’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 32.51%.

Institutional Trading of Stifel Financial

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Allworth Financial LP grew its holdings in Stifel Financial by 67.7% during the first quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 337 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 136 shares during the period. Pinnacle Holdings LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Stifel Financial during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $32,000. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. grew its stake in shares of Stifel Financial by 2,383.3% during the 3rd quarter. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. now owns 298 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $34,000 after purchasing an additional 286 shares during the period. HM Payson & Co. purchased a new position in shares of Stifel Financial during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $37,000. Finally, Root Financial Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of Stifel Financial in the 3rd quarter valued at $37,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 82.01% of the company’s stock.

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.