Short Interest in Sound Financial Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ:SFBC) Rises By 27.3%

Sound Financial Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ:SFBC) was the target of a significant increase in short interest in February. As of February 27th, there was short interest totaling 44,134 shares, an increase of 27.3% from the February 12th total of 34,671 shares. Approximately 2.0% of the shares of the company are sold short. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 4,709 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 9.4 days. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 4,709 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 9.4 days. Approximately 2.0% of the shares of the company are sold short.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Sound Financial Bancorp

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its position in Sound Financial Bancorp by 106.6% during the 2nd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 50,505 shares of the bank’s stock worth $2,324,000 after purchasing an additional 26,059 shares during the period. JPMorgan Chase & Co. acquired a new stake in Sound Financial Bancorp during the second quarter worth approximately $47,000. New York State Common Retirement Fund purchased a new stake in Sound Financial Bancorp in the 2nd quarter valued at about $101,000. Kennedy Capital Management LLC raised its position in shares of Sound Financial Bancorp by 499.5% in the 2nd quarter. Kennedy Capital Management LLC now owns 52,365 shares of the bank’s stock worth $2,409,000 after buying an additional 43,630 shares during the period. Finally, MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. purchased a new position in shares of Sound Financial Bancorp in the 2nd quarter valued at $54,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 68.85% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Separately, Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Sound Financial Bancorp in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Hold rating, Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold”.

Sound Financial Bancorp Stock Performance

SFBC traded down $0.29 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $41.06. 4,067 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 5,331. The company has a current ratio of 1.12, a quick ratio of 1.12 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $43.40 and its 200 day simple moving average is $44.58. Sound Financial Bancorp has a 1-year low of $41.06 and a 1-year high of $51.99. The firm has a market capitalization of $105.36 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.82 and a beta of 0.11.

Sound Financial Bancorp (NASDAQ:SFBC) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, January 27th. The bank reported $0.87 EPS for the quarter. The business had revenue of $9.53 million during the quarter. Sound Financial Bancorp had a net margin of 11.64% and a return on equity of 6.76%.

Sound Financial Bancorp Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, February 23rd. Investors of record on Monday, February 9th were paid a dividend of $0.21 per share. This represents a $0.84 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, February 9th. This is a positive change from Sound Financial Bancorp’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.19. Sound Financial Bancorp’s payout ratio is presently 30.32%.

Sound Financial Bancorp Company Profile

Sound Financial Bancorp, Inc is a bank holding company and the parent of Sound Community Bank, a community‐oriented financial institution headquartered in University Place, Washington. Through its subsidiary, the company delivers a broad array of banking and financial services to individuals, small businesses and commercial clients throughout the Puget Sound region. Emphasizing relationship banking, Sound Financial Bancorp seeks to support local economic development by offering personalized service and community engagement.

The company’s core offerings include deposit products such as checking and savings accounts, money market accounts and certificates of deposit, as well as a full spectrum of lending solutions.