Southern Missouri Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ:SMBC) Short Interest Up 55.1% in February

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

Southern Missouri Bancorp Stock Performance

Southern Missouri Bancorp stock traded down $0.49 during mid-day trading on Monday, hitting $57.81. The company had a trading volume of 22,895 shares, compared to its average volume of 30,928. The company has a market capitalization of $651.92 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.62 and a beta of 0.99. Southern Missouri Bancorp has a 12-month low of $39.00 and a 12-month high of $68.69. The company’s fifty day moving average is $57.87 and its 200-day moving average is $59.00. The company has a current ratio of 0.97, a quick ratio of 0.97 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.25.

Southern Missouri Bancorp (NASDAQ:SMBC) last announced 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%. Equities research analysts predict that Southern Missouri Bancorp will post 5.06 EPS for the current year.

Southern Missouri Bancorp Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 28th. Investors of record on Friday, February 14th were issued a $0.23 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 14th. This represents a $0.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.59%. Southern Missouri Bancorp’s payout ratio is 20.09%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

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

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Douglas Bagby sold 7,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, January 30th. The stock was 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 in the company, valued at $1,240,680. This trade represents a 25.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 16.60% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Southern Missouri Bancorp

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of SMBC. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. raised its stake in shares of Southern Missouri Bancorp by 4.4% during the 4th quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 5,447 shares of the savings and loans company’s stock worth $312,000 after buying an additional 228 shares during the period. Lazard Asset Management LLC lifted its holdings in Southern Missouri Bancorp by 147.5% during the fourth quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC now owns 3,542 shares of the savings and loans company’s stock valued at $202,000 after purchasing an additional 2,111 shares in the last quarter. Deutsche Bank AG grew its position in shares of Southern Missouri Bancorp by 54.8% in the fourth quarter. Deutsche Bank AG now owns 9,928 shares of the savings and loans company’s stock valued at $570,000 after purchasing an additional 3,514 shares during the period. Bridgeway Capital Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Southern Missouri Bancorp by 3.1% during the fourth quarter. Bridgeway Capital Management LLC now owns 31,844 shares of the savings and loans company’s stock worth $1,827,000 after purchasing an additional 945 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Bank of America Corp DE lifted its stake in Southern Missouri Bancorp by 57.5% in the 4th quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 12,731 shares of the savings and loans company’s stock valued at $730,000 after buying an additional 4,650 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 49.49% of the company’s stock.

Southern Missouri Bancorp Company Profile

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.