Geode Capital Management LLC Has $4.31 Million Holdings in Investar Holding Co. (NASDAQ:ISTR)

Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Investar Holding Co. (NASDAQ:ISTR) by 0.2% in the third quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 222,054 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 530 shares during the quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC’s holdings in Investar were worth $4,308,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Copeland Capital Management LLC bought a new position in Investar during the 3rd quarter worth $57,000. MetLife Investment Management LLC raised its position in shares of Investar by 129.1% in the 3rd quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC now owns 5,429 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $105,000 after buying an additional 3,059 shares in the last quarter. Rhumbline Advisers lifted its holdings in shares of Investar by 2,810.1% during the 2nd quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 10,622 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $164,000 after acquiring an additional 10,257 shares during the period. Cornercap Investment Counsel Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Investar during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $272,000. Finally, BNP Paribas Financial Markets increased its stake in Investar by 851.5% in the third quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 14,320 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $278,000 after acquiring an additional 12,815 shares during the last quarter. 50.17% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Investar Trading Down 0.0 %

ISTR opened at $21.23 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.85, a current ratio of 0.95 and a quick ratio of 0.95. Investar Holding Co. has a fifty-two week low of $14.60 and a fifty-two week high of $24.81. The firm has a market capitalization of $208.65 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.86 and a beta of 0.81. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $22.78 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $19.53.

Investar (NASDAQ:ISTR) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Monday, October 21st. The financial services provider reported $0.45 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.33 by $0.12. The company had revenue of $40.39 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $20.07 million. Investar had a net margin of 11.35% and a return on equity of 6.94%. As a group, research analysts predict that Investar Holding Co. will post 1.64 earnings per share for the current year.

Investar Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, January 31st. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, December 31st will be paid a $0.105 dividend. This represents a $0.42 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.98%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, December 31st. Investar’s dividend payout ratio is 23.46%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Separately, StockNews.com downgraded shares of Investar from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 30th.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Scott G. Ginn bought 8,475 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 22nd. The shares were bought at an average cost of $23.68 per share, for a total transaction of $200,688.00. Following the acquisition, the director now directly owns 8,475 shares in the company, valued at approximately $200,688. This trade represents a ? increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 8.73% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Investar Profile

Investar Holding Corporation operates as the bank holding company for Investar Bank that provides a range of commercial banking products to individuals, professionals, and small to medium-sized businesses in south Louisiana, southeast Texas, and Alabama in the United States. The company offers various deposit products and services, such as savings, checking, money market, and individual retirement accounts, as well as various certificates of deposit; debit and credit cards; internet, mobile, and video banking services; and reciprocal deposit products.