Peoples Financial Services (NASDAQ:PFIS) Sets New 12-Month High – What’s Next?

Peoples Financial Services Corp. (NASDAQ:PFIS)’s share price reached a new 52-week high during trading on Wednesday . The company traded as high as $67.75 and last traded at $67.1630, with a volume of 7711 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $66.37.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts have commented on the stock. Hovde Group boosted their target price on shares of Peoples Financial Services from $59.00 to $61.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research report on Monday, May 4th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Peoples Financial Services in a research note on Tuesday, June 9th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Peoples Financial Services presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $58.50.

Peoples Financial Services Trading Up 2.1%

The firm has a market cap of $678.13 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 7.52 and a beta of 0.77. The business has a fifty day moving average of $60.04 and a two-hundred day moving average of $55.44. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.43, a quick ratio of 0.97 and a current ratio of 0.98.

Peoples Financial Services (NASDAQ:PFIS) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The financial services provider reported $1.43 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.54 by ($0.11). The firm had revenue of $92.63 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $49.95 million. Peoples Financial Services had a return on equity of 18.06% and a net margin of 21.29%.

Peoples Financial Services Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 15th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 29th were given a $0.625 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 29th. This represents a $2.50 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.7%. Peoples Financial Services’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 27.69%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Peoples Financial Services

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Russell Investments Group Ltd. acquired a new stake in Peoples Financial Services in the 3rd quarter valued at about $37,000. Raymond James Financial Inc. acquired a new position in Peoples Financial Services during the second quarter worth about $44,000. CANADA LIFE ASSURANCE Co lifted its holdings in shares of Peoples Financial Services by 27.7% in the fourth quarter. CANADA LIFE ASSURANCE Co now owns 941 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $46,000 after purchasing an additional 204 shares in the last quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets lifted its holdings in shares of Peoples Financial Services by 59.1% in the second quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 969 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $48,000 after purchasing an additional 360 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Strs Ohio acquired a new stake in shares of Peoples Financial Services in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $63,000. 31.67% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.