Bank Of Montreal (NYSE:BMO) Short Interest Down 63.1% in February

Bank Of Montreal (NYSE:BMO) (TSE:BMO) saw a significant decrease in short interest during the month of February. As of February 13th, there was short interest totaling 3,215,302 shares, a decrease of 63.1% from the January 29th total of 8,718,062 shares. Approximately 0.5% of the shares of the stock are short sold. Based on an average daily volume of 831,086 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 3.9 days. Based on an average daily volume of 831,086 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 3.9 days. Approximately 0.5% of the shares of the stock are short sold.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. True Wealth Design LLC purchased a new position in shares of Bank Of Montreal during the third quarter valued at about $28,000. WFA of San Diego LLC bought a new stake in Bank Of Montreal during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Annis Gardner Whiting Capital Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Bank Of Montreal during the 4th quarter worth approximately $29,000. Larson Financial Group LLC raised its position in shares of Bank Of Montreal by 466.7% in the 3rd quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 238 shares of the bank’s stock worth $31,000 after acquiring an additional 196 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Flagship Harbor Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Bank Of Montreal in the 4th quarter worth approximately $34,000. 45.82% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Bank Of Montreal Trading Down 3.3%

Bank Of Montreal stock traded down $4.92 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $143.93. The company had a trading volume of 1,203,609 shares, compared to its average volume of 866,249. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11, a current ratio of 1.00 and a quick ratio of 1.00. Bank Of Montreal has a 12-month low of $85.40 and a 12-month high of $149.01. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $137.18 and a 200 day moving average price of $129.02. The firm has a market cap of $101.65 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.72, a P/E/G ratio of 1.03 and a beta of 0.94.

Bank Of Montreal (NYSE:BMO) (TSE:BMO) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, February 25th. The bank reported $2.51 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.35 by $0.16. The firm had revenue of $7.21 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.73 billion. Bank Of Montreal had a net margin of 11.76% and a return on equity of 12.18%. The business’s revenue was up 6.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $3.04 earnings per share. Equities analysts forecast that Bank Of Montreal will post 7.71 earnings per share for the current year.

Bank Of Montreal Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, May 26th. Investors of record on Wednesday, April 29th will be paid a $1.67 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, April 29th. This represents a $6.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.6%. Bank Of Montreal’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 59.68%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have commented on the stock. Zacks Research raised shares of Bank Of Montreal from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 19th. National Bank Financial reaffirmed a “sector perform” rating on shares of Bank Of Montreal in a report on Wednesday. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a “hold” rating on shares of Bank Of Montreal in a research note on Wednesday. TD Securities upgraded Bank Of Montreal from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 27th. Finally, Scotiabank reiterated a “sector perform” rating on shares of Bank Of Montreal in a report on Friday, January 9th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have assigned a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $163.00.

Bank Of Montreal Company Profile

Bank of Montreal (NYSE:BMO), commonly known as BMO Financial Group, is one of Canada’s largest and longest-established banks. Founded in Montreal and headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, the bank provides a broad range of financial services to retail, commercial, corporate and institutional clients. BMO is publicly listed in both Canada and the United States and operates under a consolidated financial services model that integrates banking, capital markets, wealth management and asset management activities.

BMO’s core businesses include personal and commercial banking—offering checking and savings accounts, lending, mortgages, and small-business services—alongside wealth management and private banking through its asset and investment management divisions.