Principal Financial Group Inc. Sells 42,427 Shares of Saul Centers, Inc. (NYSE:BFS)

Principal Financial Group Inc. cut its holdings in shares of Saul Centers, Inc. (NYSE:BFS) by 5.7% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 703,905 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock after selling 42,427 shares during the quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc.’s holdings in Saul Centers were worth $29,536,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in BFS. DiNuzzo Private Wealth Inc. acquired a new stake in Saul Centers during the third quarter worth approximately $25,000. Whittier Trust Co. bought a new stake in shares of Saul Centers during the 2nd quarter valued at $74,000. Point72 Asia Singapore Pte. Ltd. acquired a new stake in shares of Saul Centers during the 2nd quarter worth $102,000. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank increased its position in shares of Saul Centers by 235.4% in the second quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank now owns 3,223 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $119,000 after purchasing an additional 2,262 shares during the period. Finally, The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company acquired a new position in Saul Centers in the third quarter valued at about $202,000. 49.99% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Saul Centers Stock Up 0.5 %

Shares of BFS opened at $38.75 on Wednesday. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $40.08 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $39.37. The company has a market cap of $936.63 million, a P/E ratio of 21.06 and a beta of 1.11. Saul Centers, Inc. has a one year low of $34.87 and a one 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 will be paid on Friday, January 31st. Investors of record on Wednesday, January 15th will be given a dividend of $0.59 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, January 15th. This represents a $2.36 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 6.09%. Saul Centers’s dividend payout ratio is currently 128.26%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Separately, StockNews.com downgraded shares of Saul Centers from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note 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.