Analysts Set First Financial Bankshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:FFIN) Price Target at $36.75

First Financial Bankshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:FFIN) has been given an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by the five brokerages that are covering the company, Marketbeat.com reports. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, one has issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating on the company. The average twelve-month price target among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $36.75.

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on FFIN shares. Cantor Fitzgerald reiterated a “neutral” rating and set a $35.00 target price (up from $34.00) on shares of First Financial Bankshares in a report on Wednesday, July 15th. Benchmark assumed coverage on First Financial Bankshares in a research report on Wednesday, June 24th. They set a “buy” rating and a $39.00 price objective on the stock. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reduced their price objective on First Financial Bankshares from $36.00 to $34.00 and set a “market perform” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, April 9th. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded First Financial Bankshares from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research note on Monday, July 20th.

Insider Buying and Selling

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

Institutional Trading of First Financial Bankshares

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Royal Bank of Canada grew its position in First Financial Bankshares by 10.8% during the 1st quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 64,287 shares of the bank’s stock worth $2,309,000 after purchasing an additional 6,290 shares during the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC increased its stake in First Financial Bankshares by 51.3% in the first quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 118,437 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $4,228,000 after purchasing an additional 40,173 shares during the period. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. raised its holdings in shares of First Financial Bankshares by 4.6% in the first quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 77,474 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $2,783,000 after buying an additional 3,382 shares during the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC purchased a new stake in shares of First Financial Bankshares in the first quarter valued at about $1,760,000. Finally, UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC boosted its stake in shares of First Financial Bankshares by 17.6% during the first quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 396,513 shares of the bank’s stock worth $14,243,000 after buying an additional 59,416 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 69.78% of the company’s stock.

First Financial Bankshares Price Performance

NASDAQ FFIN opened at $34.68 on Friday. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $33.65 and its two-hundred day moving average is $32.31. First Financial Bankshares has a 12 month low of $28.11 and a 12 month high of $38.12. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.97 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.55 and a beta of 0.81.

First Financial Bankshares (NASDAQ:FFIN) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 16th. The bank reported $0.50 earnings per share for the quarter, meeting analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.50. First Financial Bankshares had a net margin of 31.03% and a return on equity of 14.00%. The business had revenue of $172.76 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $173.03 million. During the same period last year, the business earned $0.47 earnings per share. As a group, analysts anticipate that First Financial Bankshares will post 2.04 EPS for the current year.

First Financial Bankshares Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, July 1st. Shareholders of record on Friday, June 12th were paid a $0.22 dividend. This is an increase from First Financial Bankshares’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.19. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.5%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, June 12th. First Financial Bankshares’s payout ratio is currently 47.06%.

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.