Saul Centers (NYSE:BFS) Sets New 1-Year Low – Here’s What Happened

Saul Centers, Inc. (NYSE:BFS)’s share price hit a new 52-week low during mid-day trading on Wednesday. The company traded as low as $28.76 and last traded at $28.7850, with a volume of 67,473 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $29.50.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Saul Centers from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a report on Thursday, October 8th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Hold rating. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Hold”.

Saul Centers Stock Down 2.6%

The stock has a market cap of $710.49 million, a P/E ratio of 29.64 and a beta of 0.91. The company has a quick ratio of 1.62, a current ratio of 1.62 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.64. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $31.50 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $33.89.

Saul Centers (NYSE:BFS) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, August 6th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.24 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.14 by $0.10. Saul Centers had a net margin of 11.54% and a return on equity of 11.97%. The firm had revenue of $72.80 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $78.98 million.

Saul Centers Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, October 30th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, October 15th will be paid a dividend of $0.59 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, October 15th. This represents a $2.36 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 8.2%. Saul Centers’s payout ratio is 243.30%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Saul Centers

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC lifted its position in Saul Centers by 3,698.6% during the 3rd quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 13,713 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $412,000 after acquiring an additional 13,352 shares during the period. State Street Corp raised its stake in shares of Saul Centers by 9.9% in the second quarter. State Street Corp now owns 570,914 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $21,346,000 after purchasing an additional 51,504 shares during the last quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC bought a new position in Saul Centers during the 2nd quarter valued at about $425,000. Susquehanna International Group LLP purchased a new stake in Saul Centers in the second quarter worth approximately $271,000. Finally, UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC boosted its stake in shares of Saul Centers by 1,758.0% in the 2nd quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 19,063 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $713,000 after buying an additional 18,037 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 49.99% of the company’s stock.

Saul Centers Company Profile

Saul Centers, Inc is a self-managed and self-administered real estate investment trust (REIT) that owns, operates and manages income-producing commercial real estate. The company focuses primarily on shopping centers, including grocery-anchored and neighborhood retail properties, as well as mixed-use developments that combine retail, residential and office space.

Founded in 1993, Saul Centers has built a portfolio concentrated in the Washington, DC, metropolitan area and surrounding Mid-Atlantic markets, including Maryland and Virginia.