Southern Missouri Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ:SMBC) Short Interest Update

Southern Missouri Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ:SMBC) was the target of a large increase in short interest in February. As of February 15th, there was short interest totalling 82,200 shares, an increase of 55.1% from the January 31st total of 53,000 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 32,600 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 2.5 days.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on SMBC shares. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reduced their target price on shares of Southern Missouri Bancorp from $70.00 to $68.00 and set a “market perform” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, January 30th. Stephens reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and set a $76.00 price target on shares of Southern Missouri Bancorp in a report on Tuesday, January 28th.

Southern Missouri Bancorp Stock Up 2.1 %

SMBC stock traded up $1.20 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $58.30. 27,634 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 31,052. The stock has a market capitalization of $657.45 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.73 and a beta of 0.99. The company has a current ratio of 0.97, a quick ratio of 0.97 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.25. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $57.88 and a 200-day moving average price of $58.92. Southern Missouri Bancorp has a 12-month low of $39.00 and a 12-month high of $68.69.

Southern Missouri Bancorp (NASDAQ:SMBC) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Monday, February 3rd. The savings and loans company reported $1.30 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.23 by $0.07. Southern Missouri Bancorp had a net margin of 17.72% and a return on equity of 10.45%. On average, analysts anticipate that Southern Missouri Bancorp will post 5.06 EPS for the current year.

Southern Missouri Bancorp Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 28th. Investors of record on Friday, February 14th were given a dividend of $0.23 per share. This represents a $0.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.58%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 14th. Southern Missouri Bancorp’s dividend payout ratio is presently 20.09%.

Insider Activity

In other Southern Missouri Bancorp news, Director Douglas Bagby sold 7,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, January 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $59.08, for a total value of $413,560.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 21,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,240,680. This trade represents a 25.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Company insiders own 16.60% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Quantbot Technologies LP bought a new position in shares of Southern Missouri Bancorp during the fourth quarter worth about $74,000. KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS bought a new position in Southern Missouri Bancorp in the 4th quarter worth approximately $138,000. Lazard Asset Management LLC increased its position in Southern Missouri Bancorp by 147.5% in the 4th quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC now owns 3,542 shares of the savings and loans company’s stock valued at $202,000 after acquiring an additional 2,111 shares during the period. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD bought a new position in shares of Southern Missouri Bancorp in the fourth quarter worth $220,000. Finally, BNP Paribas Financial Markets increased its holdings in shares of Southern Missouri Bancorp by 139.5% during the third quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 4,673 shares of the savings and loans company’s stock valued at $264,000 after purchasing an additional 2,722 shares during the period. 49.49% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

About Southern Missouri Bancorp

Southern Missouri Bancorp, Inc operates as the bank holding company for Southern Bank that provides banking and financial services to individuals and corporate customers in the United States. The company offers deposits products, including interest-bearing and noninterest-bearing transaction accounts, saving accounts, certificates of deposit, retirement savings plans, and money market deposit accounts.