Southern First Bancshares (NASDAQ:SFST) Sets New 52-Week High – What’s Next?

Southern First Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:SFST)’s stock price hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The stock traded as high as $64.54 and last traded at $64.5640, with a volume of 25968 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $63.45.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have issued reports on the company. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Southern First Bancshares in a research note on Friday, July 31st. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Southern First Bancshares from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 22nd. Finally, Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Southern First Bancshares from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 29th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and two have assigned a Buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Southern First Bancshares currently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $64.00.

Southern First Bancshares Stock Up 1.1%

The company has a market capitalization of $613.86 million, a PE ratio of 13.89 and a beta of 0.68. The company has a quick ratio of 1.10, a current ratio of 1.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.03. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $60.50 and a two-hundred day moving average of $57.69.

Southern First Bancshares (NASDAQ:SFST) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, July 21st. The bank reported $1.20 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.19 by $0.01. Southern First Bancshares had a return on equity of 10.18% and a net margin of 16.78%.The company had revenue of $20.40 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $36.30 million. Equities research analysts predict that Southern First Bancshares, Inc. will post 5.4 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Southern First Bancshares

In related news, Director Leighton M. Cubbage sold 765 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, June 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $60.60, for a total value of $46,359.00. Following the sale, the director directly owned 50,715 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,073,329. The trade was a 1.49% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, CAO Julie Ann Fairchild sold 1,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $63.00, for a total transaction of $94,500.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer directly owned 5,200 shares in the company, valued at $327,600. The trade was a 22.39% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 2,518 shares of company stock valued at $155,857 over the last three months. Corporate insiders own 6.90% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Southern First Bancshares

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Cullen Frost Bankers Inc. boosted its position in shares of Southern First Bancshares by 40.2% during the 4th quarter. Cullen Frost Bankers Inc. now owns 666 shares of the bank’s stock worth $34,000 after purchasing an additional 191 shares during the period. Advisory Services Network LLC purchased a new stake in Southern First Bancshares in the third quarter valued at approximately $38,000. BNP Paribas Financial Markets raised its position in Southern First Bancshares by 28.7% in the second quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 1,380 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $52,000 after purchasing an additional 308 shares during the period. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC lifted its stake in Southern First Bancshares by 154.0% during the second quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 1,633 shares of the bank’s stock worth $62,000 after purchasing an additional 990 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Raymond James Financial Inc. acquired a new position in Southern First Bancshares during the second quarter worth $75,000. 75.00% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Southern First Bancshares Company Profile

Southern First Bancshares is the bank holding company for Southern First Bank, a community-oriented financial institution headquartered in Greenville, South Carolina. Through its wholly owned subsidiary, the company delivers a full spectrum of commercial and consumer banking services designed to meet the needs of small and midsize businesses, professionals, and individual customers. Southern First Bancshares operates under a relationship-driven model, emphasizing personalized service and local decision–making.

The company’s core offerings include deposit products such as checking, savings, money market accounts and certificates of deposit, alongside an array of lending solutions covering commercial real estate, construction, equipment financing and small business administration (SBA) loans.