Peoples Financial Services (NASDAQ:PFIS) Shares Pass Above Fifty Day Moving Average – What’s Next?

Peoples Financial Services Corp. (NASDAQ:PFIS) passed above its 50 day moving average during trading on Monday . The stock has a 50 day moving average of $68.22 and traded as high as $71.15. Peoples Financial Services shares last traded at $70.64, with a volume of 41,893 shares trading hands.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

PFIS has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Peoples Financial Services in a research report on Tuesday, June 9th. Hovde Group boosted their price objective on shares of Peoples Financial Services from $61.00 to $75.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 4th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Peoples Financial Services currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $65.50.

Peoples Financial Services Stock Performance

The firm has a market capitalization of $694.99 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 7.86 and a beta of 0.75. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $68.37 and its two-hundred day moving average is $60.71. The company has a quick ratio of 0.99, a current ratio of 0.99 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.46.

Peoples Financial Services (NASDAQ:PFIS) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The financial services provider reported $1.48 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.64 by ($0.16). Peoples Financial Services had a return on equity of 17.27% and a net margin of 20.66%.The firm had revenue of $97.74 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $52.35 million.

Peoples Financial Services Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 15th. Investors of record on Monday, August 31st will be paid a $0.625 dividend. This represents a $2.50 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.6%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, August 31st. Peoples Financial Services’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 28.31%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Peoples Financial Services

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Russell Investments Group Ltd. bought a new stake in Peoples Financial Services in the third quarter valued at approximately $37,000. Raymond James Financial Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Peoples Financial Services during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $44,000. CANADA LIFE ASSURANCE Co increased its holdings in shares of Peoples Financial Services by 27.7% during the 4th quarter. CANADA LIFE ASSURANCE Co now owns 941 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $46,000 after acquiring an additional 204 shares during the last quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets raised its stake in Peoples Financial Services by 59.1% in the 2nd quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 969 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $48,000 after acquiring an additional 360 shares during the period. Finally, Legal & General Group Plc bought a new stake in Peoples Financial Services in the 2nd quarter valued at $61,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 31.67% of the company’s stock.

Peoples Financial Services Company Profile

Peoples Financial Services Corporation is the bank holding company for PeoplesBank, a community-focused commercial bank headquartered in Holyoke, Massachusetts. Through its wholly owned subsidiary, PeoplesBank, PFIS offers a full suite of banking services to individuals, small businesses, and commercial clients. These services include deposit accounts, consumer and residential mortgage lending, commercial and industrial lending, and treasury management solutions.

Founded in 1842, PeoplesBank has grown organically and through selective acquisitions to become a prominent community bank in Western Massachusetts and Northern Connecticut.