Guild (NYSE:GHLD) Sees Unusually-High Trading Volume – Here’s What Happened

Guild Holdings (NYSE:GHLD) saw an uptick in trading volume on Thursday . 100,250 shares were traded during mid-day trading, an increase of 705% from the previous session’s volume of 12,449 shares.The stock last traded at $14.16 and had previously closed at $14.49.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

GHLD has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Compass Point lifted their target price on shares of Guild from $16.00 to $19.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 21st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on shares of Guild from $11.50 to $12.50 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a research report on Friday, March 7th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has issued a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $16.60.

Guild Stock Down 1.2 %

The company has a current ratio of 0.06, a quick ratio of 0.06 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.92. The company has a market capitalization of $931.35 million, a PE ratio of -9.71, a PEG ratio of 0.27 and a beta of 0.79. The business has a fifty day moving average of $13.12 and a 200 day moving average of $13.95.

Guild Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 31st. Investors of record on Monday, March 17th were issued a $0.50 dividend. This represents a $2.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 13.29%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 17th. Guild’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 64.94%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Guild

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Millennium Management LLC boosted its holdings in Guild by 18.6% in the fourth quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 15,441 shares of the company’s stock valued at $218,000 after purchasing an additional 2,421 shares during the period. Citadel Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of Guild by 57.5% in the 4th quarter. Citadel Advisors LLC now owns 16,799 shares of the company’s stock valued at $237,000 after buying an additional 6,134 shares during the period. Northern Trust Corp grew its position in shares of Guild by 8.3% during the fourth quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 22,421 shares of the company’s stock worth $316,000 after buying an additional 1,709 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Guild by 2.0% during the third quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 98,244 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,634,000 after buying an additional 1,901 shares during the period. Finally, HighTower Advisors LLC raised its holdings in Guild by 419.9% in the fourth quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 125,311 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,768,000 after acquiring an additional 101,209 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 17.52% of the company’s stock.

About Guild

Guild Holdings Company originates, sells, and services residential mortgage loans in the United States. It operates in two segments, Origination and Servicing. The company offers residential mortgages through retail and correspondent channels. Guild Holdings Company was incorporated in 1960 and is headquartered in San Diego, California.