Simmons First National (NASDAQ:SFNC) Downgraded by StockNews.com

StockNews.com cut shares of Simmons First National (NASDAQ:SFNC) from a hold rating to a sell rating in a research note released on Sunday.

Other equities research analysts also recently issued reports about the stock. Stephens dropped their price objective on shares of Simmons First National from $22.00 to $21.00 and set an equal weight rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, April 25th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods dropped their price objective on shares of Simmons First National from $21.00 to $20.00 and set a market perform rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, April 25th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and three have issued a hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $21.00.

Simmons First National Stock Performance

Shares of SFNC stock opened at $21.10 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.65 billion, a PE ratio of 15.86 and a beta of 0.89. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $17.82 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $18.36. The company has a current ratio of 0.77, a quick ratio of 0.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36. Simmons First National has a 12 month low of $13.36 and a 12 month high of $21.81.

Simmons First National (NASDAQ:SFNC) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, April 24th. The bank reported $0.32 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $0.32. Simmons First National had a net margin of 11.97% and a return on equity of 5.94%. The firm had revenue of $195.10 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $202.35 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $0.37 EPS. The business’s revenue was down 12.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts forecast that Simmons First National will post 1.29 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Simmons First National

In other news, EVP George A. Makris III sold 15,625 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, April 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $17.23, for a total value of $269,218.75. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 39,707 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $684,151.61. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Insiders own 1.91% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of SFNC. QRG Capital Management Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Simmons First National by 8.1% in the fourth quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc. now owns 13,984 shares of the bank’s stock worth $277,000 after purchasing an additional 1,043 shares during the last quarter. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System lifted its stake in Simmons First National by 1.8% in the second quarter. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System now owns 63,100 shares of the bank’s stock worth $1,109,000 after acquiring an additional 1,100 shares during the period. Versant Capital Management Inc lifted its stake in Simmons First National by 161.0% in the second quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 1,843 shares of the bank’s stock worth $32,000 after acquiring an additional 1,137 shares during the period. Linden Thomas Advisory Services LLC lifted its stake in Simmons First National by 1.6% in the second quarter. Linden Thomas Advisory Services LLC now owns 73,077 shares of the bank’s stock worth $1,285,000 after acquiring an additional 1,186 shares during the period. Finally, Jag Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in Simmons First National by 1.2% in the fourth quarter. Jag Capital Management LLC now owns 122,490 shares of the bank’s stock worth $2,430,000 after acquiring an additional 1,417 shares during the period. 27.58% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

About Simmons First National

Simmons First National Corporation operates as the holding company for Simmons Bank that provides banking and other financial products and services to individuals and businesses. The company offers checking, savings, and time deposits; consumer, real estate, and commercial loans; agricultural finance, equipment, and small business administration lending; trust and fiduciary services; credit cards; investment management products; treasury management; insurance products; and securities and investment services.