Republic Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ:RBCAA) Short Interest Update

Republic Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ:RBCAA) saw a large growth in short interest in the month of January. As of January 15th, there was short interest totaling 103,853 shares, a growth of 21.2% from the December 31st total of 85,712 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 39,878 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 2.6 days. Approximately 1.2% of the shares of the company are short sold. Approximately 1.2% of the shares of the company are short sold. Based on an average trading volume of 39,878 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 2.6 days.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Quarry LP acquired a new stake in shares of Republic Bancorp during the 3rd quarter valued at $27,000. CWM LLC grew its stake in Republic Bancorp by 68.0% in the second quarter. CWM LLC now owns 608 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $44,000 after purchasing an additional 246 shares in the last quarter. State of Alaska Department of Revenue acquired a new position in Republic Bancorp in the 3rd quarter worth about $50,000. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. purchased a new stake in shares of Republic Bancorp during the 3rd quarter worth about $60,000. Finally, Russell Investments Group Ltd. raised its stake in shares of Republic Bancorp by 2,561.3% during the 3rd quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 825 shares of the bank’s stock worth $60,000 after purchasing an additional 794 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 24.37% of the company’s stock.

Republic Bancorp Trading Up 2.9%

RBCAA stock traded up $2.10 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, reaching $75.37. 10,959 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 34,375. Republic Bancorp has a 52-week low of $56.79 and a 52-week high of $78.25. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $70.98 and its 200-day moving average is $71.13. The company has a market cap of $1.47 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.16 and a beta of 0.60. The company has a current ratio of 1.06, a quick ratio of 1.05 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35.

Republic Bancorp (NASDAQ:RBCAA) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Friday, January 30th. The bank reported $1.17 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.30 by ($0.13). The firm had revenue of $94.27 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $92.50 million. Republic Bancorp had a return on equity of 12.39% and a net margin of 25.19%.

Republic Bancorp Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 17th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 20th will be issued a $0.495 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 20th. This represents a $1.98 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.6%. This is a positive change from Republic Bancorp’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.45. Republic Bancorp’s dividend payout ratio is currently 26.79%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms recently commented on RBCAA. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Republic Bancorp from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Saturday. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Republic Bancorp in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $69.00.

About Republic Bancorp

Republic Bancorp, Inc is a bank holding company headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, that operates through its principal subsidiary, Republic Bank & Trust Company. The company provides a full suite of commercial and retail banking services tailored to individuals, small businesses and middle‐market clients. Core offerings include deposit accounts, consumer and commercial lending, treasury and cash-management services, mortgage financing, SBA lending and wealth management solutions. Republic Bancorp also supports specialized financing needs through equipment leasing and small business advisory services.

Republic Bancorp’s branch network spans key markets in the U.S.