First Financial Bankshares (NASDAQ:FFIN) Stock Rating Upgraded by Benchmark

First Financial Bankshares (NASDAQ:FFIN) was upgraded by stock analysts at Benchmark to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Wednesday,Zacks.com reports.

FFIN has been the topic of a number of other research reports. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c)” rating on shares of First Financial Bankshares in a report on Wednesday, April 8th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods cut their price target on First Financial Bankshares from $36.00 to $34.00 and set a “market perform” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, April 9th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, one has given a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $37.75.

First Financial Bankshares Price Performance

First Financial Bankshares stock opened at $34.94 on Wednesday. First Financial Bankshares has a 12 month low of $28.11 and a 12 month high of $38.74. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $32.44 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $31.74. The company has a market cap of $5.01 billion, a PE ratio of 18.99 and a beta of 0.83.

First Financial Bankshares (NASDAQ:FFIN) last issued its earnings results on Friday, April 17th. The bank reported $0.50 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.47 by $0.03. The firm had revenue of $166.89 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $166.78 million. First Financial Bankshares had a net margin of 31.00% and a return on equity of 14.20%. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $0.43 earnings per share. Equities research analysts anticipate that First Financial Bankshares will post 2.04 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Murray Hamilton Edwards bought 1,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 11th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $33.18 per share, with a total value of $33,180.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 44,634 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,480,956.12. This trade represents a 2.29% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. 3.80% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. SG Americas Securities LLC lifted its position in First Financial Bankshares by 3,204.2% during the 4th quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 417,192 shares of the bank’s stock worth $12,462,000 after acquiring an additional 404,566 shares during the last quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. raised its position in shares of First Financial Bankshares by 3,042,660.3% during the fourth quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 21,512,315 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $642,573,000 after buying an additional 21,511,608 shares during the last quarter. Jefferies Financial Group Inc. grew its holdings in shares of First Financial Bankshares by 283.7% during the 4th quarter. Jefferies Financial Group Inc. now owns 112,781 shares of the bank’s stock worth $3,369,000 after purchasing an additional 83,385 shares in the last quarter. Waterloo Capital L.P. increased its holdings in First Financial Bankshares by 978.4% in the 4th quarter. Waterloo Capital L.P. now owns 68,899 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $2,058,000 after buying an additional 62,510 shares during the period. Finally, Phocas Financial Corp. bought a new stake in First Financial Bankshares in the fourth quarter valued at about $3,515,000. 69.78% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About First Financial Bankshares

First Financial Bankshares, Inc is a regional bank holding company headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio. Through its primary subsidiary, First Financial Bank, the company offers a full suite of banking products and services to individual, small business and commercial clients. With roots dating back to 1863, First Financial has cultivated a strong community banking heritage, combining personalized service with modern financial solutions.

The company’s core business activities include commercial and consumer lending, deposit products, treasury management, mortgage origination and servicing, and wealth management.