Guild (NYSE:GHLD) Trading Up 5.3% – Here’s Why

Guild Holdings (NYSE:GHLD) was up 5.3% on Thursday . The stock traded as high as $13.96 and last traded at $13.96. Approximately 7,374 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 37% from the average daily volume of 11,793 shares. The stock had previously closed at $13.26.

Analyst Ratings Changes

GHLD has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Compass Point lifted their price target on 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 target price on shares of Guild from $11.50 to $12.50 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a research note on Friday, March 7th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has given a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $16.60.

Guild Stock Up 16.7 %

The company has a quick ratio of 0.06, a current ratio of 0.06 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.92. The firm has a market capitalization of $984.27 million, a PE ratio of -10.26, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.27 and a beta of 0.98. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $12.90 and a 200-day moving average price of $14.00.

Guild Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 31st. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 17th will be paid a $0.50 dividend. This represents a $2.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 12.58%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 17th. Guild’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 64.94%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Guild

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of GHLD. Bayview Asset Management LLC raised its stake in Guild by 6.4% during the fourth quarter. Bayview Asset Management LLC now owns 1,595,844 shares of the company’s stock worth $22,517,000 after purchasing an additional 95,327 shares during the period. Basswood Capital Management L.L.C. raised its position in shares of Guild by 3.2% during the 4th quarter. Basswood Capital Management L.L.C. now owns 674,805 shares of the company’s stock valued at $9,521,000 after buying an additional 20,848 shares during the period. Adage Capital Partners GP L.L.C. lifted its holdings in Guild by 5.3% in the fourth quarter. Adage Capital Partners GP L.L.C. now owns 628,650 shares of the company’s stock valued at $8,870,000 after acquiring an additional 31,540 shares during the last quarter. Donald Smith & CO. Inc. grew its position in Guild by 0.4% in the fourth quarter. Donald Smith & CO. Inc. now owns 344,742 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,864,000 after acquiring an additional 1,535 shares during the period. Finally, HighTower Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Guild by 419.9% in the 4th quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 125,311 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,768,000 after purchasing an additional 101,209 shares during 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.