Sandy Spring Bancorp (NASDAQ:SASR) Now Covered by Analysts at StockNews.com

StockNews.com initiated coverage on shares of Sandy Spring Bancorp (NASDAQ:SASR) in a report released on Friday morning. The firm issued a sell rating on the bank’s stock.

Sandy Spring Bancorp Trading Up 1.0 %

Shares of NASDAQ:SASR opened at $31.97 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50, a quick ratio of 1.02 and a current ratio of 1.02. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.44 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 71.05 and a beta of 0.97. Sandy Spring Bancorp has a 1-year low of $19.52 and a 1-year high of $39.55. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $33.32 and a 200 day moving average price of $33.45.

Sandy Spring Bancorp (NASDAQ:SASR) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, January 28th. The bank reported $0.47 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.48 by ($0.01). Sandy Spring Bancorp had a return on equity of 5.31% and a net margin of 2.65%. On average, research analysts anticipate that Sandy Spring Bancorp will post 2.48 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Sandy Spring Bancorp Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, February 19th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, February 12th were given a $0.34 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, February 12th. This represents a $1.36 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.25%. Sandy Spring Bancorp’s payout ratio is 302.22%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Sandy Spring Bancorp

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC increased its holdings in shares of Sandy Spring Bancorp by 2.4% during the 3rd quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 26,065 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $818,000 after acquiring an additional 609 shares during the last quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of Sandy Spring Bancorp by 231.1% in the third quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 11,748 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $369,000 after purchasing an additional 8,200 shares during the last quarter. Pinnacle Associates Ltd. increased its stake in shares of Sandy Spring Bancorp by 55.3% in the third quarter. Pinnacle Associates Ltd. now owns 17,487 shares of the bank’s stock worth $549,000 after purchasing an additional 6,224 shares during the period. Emerald Mutual Fund Advisers Trust acquired a new position in shares of Sandy Spring Bancorp during the 3rd quarter worth about $254,000. Finally, Capital Performance Advisors LLP bought a new stake in Sandy Spring Bancorp during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 66.90% of the company’s stock.

Sandy Spring Bancorp Company Profile

Sandy Spring Bancorp, Inc operates as the bank holding company for Sandy Spring Bank that provides commercial and retail banking, mortgage, private banking, and trust services to individuals and businesses in the United States. It offers financial products and services, including various loan and deposit products.