Simmons First National Corporation (SFNC) to Issue Quarterly Dividend of $0.21 on January 2nd

Simmons First National Corporation (NASDAQ:SFNC) announced a quarterly dividend on Friday, November 7th. Investors of record on Monday, December 15th will be paid a dividend of 0.2125 per share by the bank on Friday, January 2nd. This represents a c) dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.3%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, December 15th.

Simmons First National has increased its dividend payment by an average of 0.1%annually over the last three years and has increased its dividend annually for the last 14 consecutive years. Simmons First National has a payout ratio of 45.5% meaning its dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings. Equities analysts expect Simmons First National to earn $1.81 per share next year, which means the company should continue to be able to cover its $0.85 annual dividend with an expected future payout ratio of 47.0%.

Simmons First National Stock Up 0.3%

NASDAQ:SFNC traded up $0.06 on Friday, hitting $19.63. The stock had a trading volume of 1,048,167 shares, compared to its average volume of 960,238. The company has a quick ratio of 0.88, a current ratio of 0.88 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20. Simmons First National has a 52 week low of $17.00 and a 52 week high of $23.92. The business’s fifty day moving average is $18.30 and its 200 day moving average is $19.16. The company has a market cap of $2.84 billion, a PE ratio of -6.70 and a beta of 0.92.

Simmons First National (NASDAQ:SFNC) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 16th. The bank reported $0.46 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.47 by ($0.01). Simmons First National had a negative net margin of 29.70% and a positive return on equity of 5.84%. The firm had revenue of $232.54 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $103.26 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.37 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 14.4% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts expect that Simmons First National will post 1.66 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Simmons First National

In other news, EVP David W. Garner bought 3,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, October 22nd. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $17.66 per share, for a total transaction of $52,980.00. Following the purchase, the executive vice president directly owned 72,345 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,277,612.70. This trade represents a 4.33% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director Steven A. Cosse purchased 8,603 shares of Simmons First National stock in a transaction dated Thursday, October 30th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $17.44 per share, with a total value of $150,036.32. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 113,652 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,982,090.88. This represents a 8.19% increase in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Corporate insiders own 1.44% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Simmons First National

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in SFNC. Magnetar Financial LLC bought a new stake in Simmons First National during the first quarter valued at approximately $318,000. Ieq Capital LLC increased its stake in Simmons First National by 156.9% in the first quarter. Ieq Capital LLC now owns 42,193 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $866,000 after acquiring an additional 25,771 shares during the last quarter. State of Alaska Department of Revenue raised its position in Simmons First National by 7.6% during the second quarter. State of Alaska Department of Revenue now owns 74,955 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $1,420,000 after purchasing an additional 5,298 shares in the last quarter. Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd bought a new stake in Simmons First National during the second quarter worth about $518,000. Finally, Intech Investment Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Simmons First National by 69.7% in the 1st quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC now owns 92,262 shares of the bank’s stock worth $1,894,000 after purchasing an additional 37,881 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 27.58% of the company’s stock.

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.