Saul Centers (NYSE:BFS) Share Price Crosses Above 200 Day Moving Average – Should You Sell?

Saul Centers, Inc. (NYSE:BFS) shares passed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Wednesday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $38.51 and traded as high as $41.38. Saul Centers shares last traded at $40.94, with a volume of 95,935 shares traded.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Separately, B. Riley raised their target price on Saul Centers from $43.50 to $45.50 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, August 22nd.

Saul Centers Trading Up 2.6 %

The firm has a market cap of $988.13 million, a P/E ratio of 23.00 and a beta of 1.11. The company has a current ratio of 0.83, a quick ratio of 0.83 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.40. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $40.43 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $38.51.

Saul Centers Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, October 31st. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, October 15th were given a dividend of $0.59 per share. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, October 15th. This represents a $2.36 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.76%. Saul Centers’s payout ratio is currently 132.58%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Saul Centers

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Inspire Investing LLC raised its holdings in Saul Centers by 3.3% during the 2nd quarter. Inspire Investing LLC now owns 9,668 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $355,000 after purchasing an additional 310 shares during the last quarter. CANADA LIFE ASSURANCE Co raised its stake in shares of Saul Centers by 2.4% during the first quarter. CANADA LIFE ASSURANCE Co now owns 14,891 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $573,000 after buying an additional 356 shares during the last quarter. DiNuzzo Private Wealth Inc. bought a new position in Saul Centers in the third quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Texas Permanent School Fund Corp grew its holdings in Saul Centers by 9.9% during the 2nd quarter. Texas Permanent School Fund Corp now owns 11,383 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $419,000 after acquiring an additional 1,028 shares during the period. Finally, BNP Paribas Financial Markets raised its position in shares of Saul Centers by 12.2% during the 1st quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 11,283 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $434,000 after acquiring an additional 1,230 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 49.99% of the company’s stock.

About Saul Centers

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.