Everpar Advisors LLC Invests $1.56 Million in Simmons First National Co. (NASDAQ:SFNC)

Everpar Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Simmons First National Co. (NASDAQ:SFNC) during the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund bought 78,652 shares of the bank’s stock, valued at approximately $1,560,000. Simmons First National makes up about 0.7% of Everpar Advisors LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 22nd largest position.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. GAMMA Investing LLC acquired a new stake in Simmons First National during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Briaud Financial Planning Inc purchased a new stake in shares of Simmons First National in the third quarter worth about $81,000. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Simmons First National by 1,314.8% during the third quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 12,875 shares of the bank’s stock worth $218,000 after acquiring an additional 11,965 shares during the period. QRG Capital Management Inc. purchased a new position in Simmons First National during the third quarter valued at approximately $219,000. Finally, Summit Financial Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its position in Simmons First National by 15.9% in the 4th quarter. Summit Financial Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 11,590 shares of the bank’s stock worth $230,000 after purchasing an additional 1,590 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 27.58% of the company’s stock.

Simmons First National Stock Up 0.4 %

NASDAQ:SFNC traded up $0.08 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, hitting $17.91. The stock had a trading volume of 235,623 shares, compared to its average volume of 499,538. The company has a market capitalization of $2.24 billion, a PE ratio of 13.47 and a beta of 0.90. The company has a current ratio of 0.77, a quick ratio of 0.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36. Simmons First National Co. has a twelve month low of $13.36 and a twelve month high of $20.82. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $18.55 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $18.08.

Simmons First National (NASDAQ:SFNC) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, April 24th. The bank reported $0.32 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.32. The company had revenue of $195.10 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $202.35 million. Simmons First National had a net margin of 11.97% and a return on equity of 5.94%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was down 12.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company posted $0.37 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Simmons First National Co. will post 1.33 EPS for the current year.

Simmons First National Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, July 1st. Investors of record on Friday, June 14th will be paid a $0.21 dividend. This represents a $0.84 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.69%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, June 14th. Simmons First National’s payout ratio is 63.16%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

SFNC has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lowered their price target on shares of Simmons First National from $21.00 to $20.00 and set a “market perform” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, April 25th. Stephens cut their price target on Simmons First National from $22.00 to $21.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, April 25th. StockNews.com lowered shares of Simmons First National from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Friday, February 2nd. Finally, Robert W. Baird upped their target price on shares of Simmons First National from $20.00 to $22.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, January 25th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and three have issued a hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Simmons First National currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $21.00.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP George A. Makris III sold 15,625 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, April 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $17.23, for a total transaction of $269,218.75. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 39,707 shares in the company, valued at $684,151.61. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 1.91% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

About Simmons First National

Simmons First National Corporation operates as the holding company for Simmons Bank that provides banking and other financial products and services to individuals and businesses. The company offers checking, savings, and time deposits; consumer, real estate, and commercial loans; agricultural finance, equipment, and small business administration lending; trust and fiduciary services; credit cards; investment management products; treasury management; insurance products; and securities and investment services.