Saul Centers (NYSE:BFS) Sets New 52-Week Low – Here’s Why

Saul Centers, Inc. (NYSE:BFS)’s stock price hit a new 52-week low during mid-day trading on Friday. The company traded as low as $28.27 and last traded at $29.1560, with a volume of 8,090 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $28.81.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Separately, Weiss Ratings cut Saul Centers from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a report on Thursday, October 8th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Hold rating. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold”.

Saul Centers Price Performance

The company has a market cap of $729.37 million, a PE ratio of 30.64 and a beta of 0.90. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $30.30 and its 200-day moving average is $33.45. The company has a quick ratio of 1.62, a current ratio of 1.62 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.64.

Saul Centers (NYSE:BFS) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, November 5th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.27 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.15 by $0.12. The business had revenue of $78.42 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $77.65 million. Saul Centers had a net margin of 11.54% and a return on equity of 11.97%.

Saul Centers Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, October 30th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, October 15th were issued a dividend of $0.59 per share. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, October 15th. This represents a $2.36 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 8.0%. Saul Centers’s dividend payout ratio is 243.30%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its position in shares of Saul Centers by 11.6% during the second quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 4,036 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $151,000 after purchasing an additional 420 shares in the last quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp grew its stake in Saul Centers by 53.5% in the second quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 1,463 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $55,000 after purchasing an additional 510 shares during the period. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund grew its stake in Saul Centers by 7.9% in the third quarter. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund now owns 7,052 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $212,000 after purchasing an additional 519 shares during the period. Bessemer Group Inc. raised its holdings in Saul Centers by 82.9% in the first quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 1,412 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $47,000 after purchasing an additional 640 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Alps Advisors Inc. raised its holdings in Saul Centers by 14.1% in the third quarter. Alps Advisors Inc. now owns 7,688 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $231,000 after purchasing an additional 950 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 49.99% of the company’s stock.

Saul Centers Company Profile

Saul Centers, Inc (NYSE: BFS) is a self-managed real estate investment trust that owns, operates, manages and develops income-producing commercial real estate. The company’s portfolio is primarily composed of neighborhood and community shopping centers, along with mixed-use properties that combine retail, office and other commercial space.

Saul Centers’ shopping centers are generally anchored by grocery stores, supermarkets, drugstores and other service-oriented retailers. Its properties are designed to serve local communities and typically include a range of tenants such as restaurants, personal-service businesses and specialty retailers.

Founded in 1993 and headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, Saul Centers focuses primarily on the Mid-Atlantic region, particularly the Washington, DC, metropolitan area and surrounding parts of Maryland and Virginia.