Republic Bancorp (NASDAQ:RBCAA) Sees Unusually-High Trading Volume – Should You Buy?

Republic Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ:RBCAA) shares saw unusually-strong trading volume on Friday . 65,575 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 16% from the previous session’s volume of 78,314 shares.The stock last traded at $98.0540 and had previously closed at $98.44.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts have issued reports on RBCAA shares. Wall Street Zen upgraded Republic Bancorp from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, April 25th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Republic Bancorp in a report on Tuesday, June 9th. Hovde Group boosted their price target on shares of Republic Bancorp from $80.00 to $98.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research report on Monday. Finally, Zacks Research raised shares of Republic Bancorp to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, July 13th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Republic Bancorp presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $98.00.

Republic Bancorp Stock Up 1.0%

The stock has a market capitalization of $1.95 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.16 and a beta of 0.56. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32, a current ratio of 1.06 and a quick ratio of 1.05. The business has a fifty day moving average of $87.86 and a 200 day moving average of $77.86.

Republic Bancorp (NASDAQ:RBCAA) last posted its earnings results on Friday, July 24th. The bank reported $1.68 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.55 by $0.13. Republic Bancorp had a return on equity of 11.32% and a net margin of 25.38%.The company had revenue of $101.27 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $97.60 million. As a group, equities analysts predict that Republic Bancorp, Inc. will post 6.65 earnings per share for the current year.

Republic Bancorp Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, October 16th. Stockholders of record on Friday, September 18th will be issued a dividend of $0.495 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, September 18th. This represents a $1.98 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.0%. Republic Bancorp’s dividend payout ratio is currently 30.23%.

Insider Transactions at Republic Bancorp

In related news, EVP Anthony T. Powell sold 3,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, June 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $83.54, for a total transaction of $250,620.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 24,691 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,062,686.14. This trade represents a 10.83% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Christy Ames sold 340 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $87.90, for a total transaction of $29,886.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 6,145 shares in the company, valued at approximately $540,145.50. This trade represents a 5.24% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 55.90% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Republic Bancorp

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased its holdings in Republic Bancorp by 52.9% in the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 23,236 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $1,679,000 after purchasing an additional 8,037 shares during the last quarter. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd purchased a new stake in Republic Bancorp in the first quarter valued at approximately $956,000. Fifth Third Bancorp acquired a new position in Republic Bancorp during the first quarter worth $384,000. Empirical Financial Services LLC d.b.a. Empirical Wealth Management lifted its stake in Republic Bancorp by 22.6% during the first quarter. Empirical Financial Services LLC d.b.a. Empirical Wealth Management now owns 4,444 shares of the bank’s stock worth $314,000 after purchasing an additional 820 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Apollon Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Republic Bancorp during the first quarter worth $213,000. 24.37% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Republic Bancorp Company Profile

Republic Bancorp, Inc is a bank holding company headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, that operates through its principal subsidiary, Republic Bank & Trust Company. The company provides a full suite of commercial and retail banking services tailored to individuals, small businesses and middle‐market clients. Core offerings include deposit accounts, consumer and commercial lending, treasury and cash-management services, mortgage financing, SBA lending and wealth management solutions. Republic Bancorp also supports specialized financing needs through equipment leasing and small business advisory services.

Republic Bancorp’s branch network spans key markets in the U.S.