Peoples Financial Services (NASDAQ:PFIS) Stock Crosses Below Two Hundred Day Moving Average – Here’s Why

Shares of Peoples Financial Services Corp. (NASDAQ:PFIS) passed below its 200-day moving average during trading on Monday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $49.74 and traded as low as $45.51. Peoples Financial Services shares last traded at $45.84, with a volume of 15,343 shares.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, Stephens upgraded shares of Peoples Financial Services from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, December 9th.

Peoples Financial Services Stock Up 1.8 %

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32, a quick ratio of 0.93 and a current ratio of 0.93. The company has a market cap of $460.46 million, a PE ratio of 40.76 and a beta of 0.56. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $49.53 and a 200 day simple moving average of $49.72.

Peoples Financial Services (NASDAQ:PFIS) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The financial services provider reported $0.99 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.16 by ($0.17). Peoples Financial Services had a return on equity of 8.97% and a net margin of 3.70%. Equities research analysts predict that Peoples Financial Services Corp. will post 5.92 EPS for the current year.

Peoples Financial Services Cuts Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 14th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 28th were issued a $0.6175 dividend. This represents a $2.47 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.36%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 28th. Peoples Financial Services’s dividend payout ratio is presently 218.58%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Peoples Financial Services news, Director Richard S. Lochen, Jr. bought 1,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 5th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $47.12 per share, with a total value of $47,120.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 17,129 shares in the company, valued at approximately $807,118.48. This trade represents a 6.20 % increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. 4.10% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Peoples Financial Services

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in PFIS. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Peoples Financial Services by 0.4% during the fourth quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 51,084 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $2,614,000 after purchasing an additional 200 shares during the period. Alliance Wealth Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Peoples Financial Services by 0.6% during the fourth quarter. Alliance Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 38,857 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $1,989,000 after purchasing an additional 225 shares during the period. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. increased its holdings in shares of Peoples Financial Services by 4.5% during the fourth quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 5,279 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $270,000 after purchasing an additional 228 shares during the period. Invesco Ltd. increased its holdings in shares of Peoples Financial Services by 2.4% during the fourth quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 10,138 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $519,000 after purchasing an additional 242 shares during the period. Finally, Rhumbline Advisers increased its holdings in shares of Peoples Financial Services by 4.1% during the fourth quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 13,182 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $675,000 after purchasing an additional 518 shares during the period. 31.67% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Peoples Financial Services Company Profile

Peoples Financial Services Corp. operates as the bank holding company for Peoples Security Bank and Trust Company that provides various commercial and retail banking services. The company accepts money market, negotiable order of withdrawal, savings, individual retirement, demand deposit, and certificates of deposit accounts.