AlphaCentric Advisors LLC Acquires Shares of 30,000 Saul Centers, Inc. (NYSE:BFS)

AlphaCentric Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Saul Centers, Inc. (NYSE:BFS) in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor acquired 30,000 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock, valued at approximately $1,164,000. Saul Centers accounts for approximately 1.2% of AlphaCentric Advisors LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 23rd largest holding.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Point72 Asia Singapore Pte. Ltd. grew its holdings in Saul Centers by 31.2% during the third quarter. Point72 Asia Singapore Pte. Ltd. now owns 3,648 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $153,000 after purchasing an additional 868 shares during the period. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company purchased a new stake in shares of Saul Centers during the third quarter worth $202,000. SG Americas Securities LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Saul Centers during the third quarter worth $262,000. Everence Capital Management Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Saul Centers during the third quarter worth $287,000. Finally, Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. purchased a new stake in shares of Saul Centers during the third quarter worth $288,000. 49.99% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Saul Centers Trading Down 2.4 %

NYSE:BFS opened at $36.36 on Monday. The company has a market cap of $878.83 million, a P/E ratio of 19.76 and a beta of 1.11. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $37.82 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $39.33. Saul Centers, Inc. has a 1 year low of $34.87 and a 1 year high of $42.39. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.61, a current ratio of 1.13 and a quick ratio of 1.13.

Saul Centers Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, January 31st. Investors of record on Wednesday, January 15th were given a $0.59 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, January 15th. This represents a $2.36 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 6.49%. Saul Centers’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 128.26%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Separately, StockNews.com downgraded Saul Centers from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 18th.

Saul Centers Profile

Saul Centers is a self-managed, self-administered equity REIT headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland. Saul Centers currently operates and manages a real estate portfolio comprised of 61 properties that includes (a) 57 community and neighborhood Shopping Centers and Mixed-Use properties with approximately 9.8 million square feet of leasable area and (b) four land and development properties.