Sierra Bancorp (NASDAQ:BSRR) Stock Rating Upgraded by StockNews.com

Sierra Bancorp (NASDAQ:BSRR) was upgraded by analysts at StockNews.com from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report issued on Monday.

Separately, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lifted their target price on shares of Sierra Bancorp from $30.00 to $35.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 4th.

Sierra Bancorp Stock Down 3.1 %

Shares of NASDAQ BSRR traded down $0.88 on Monday, reaching $27.68. 57,711 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 47,065. Sierra Bancorp has a 12 month low of $17.69 and a 12 month high of $35.13. The business’s 50 day simple moving average is $29.86 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $29.84. The company has a market cap of $386.52 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.85 and a beta of 0.89. The company has a quick ratio of 0.79, a current ratio of 0.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.46.

Sierra Bancorp (NASDAQ:BSRR) last announced its earnings results on Monday, January 27th. The financial services provider reported $0.72 earnings per share for the quarter, meeting analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.72. Sierra Bancorp had a net margin of 19.90% and a return on equity of 11.55%. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Sierra Bancorp will post 2.95 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Sierra Bancorp

In related news, Director Julie G. Castle sold 1,104 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $32.00, for a total transaction of $35,328.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 4,157 shares in the company, valued at approximately $133,024. This represents a 20.98 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Michael Olague sold 3,563 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $31.15, for a total transaction of $110,987.45. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 12,409 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $386,540.35. This trade represents a 22.31 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 4,668 shares of company stock worth $146,346 in the last three months. Insiders own 11.86% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Sierra Bancorp

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. State of Tennessee Department of Treasury acquired a new stake in shares of Sierra Bancorp in the fourth quarter worth $137,000. SG Americas Securities LLC increased its stake in shares of Sierra Bancorp by 20.3% in the fourth quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 5,903 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $171,000 after acquiring an additional 997 shares during the period. Brandywine Global Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Sierra Bancorp in the fourth quarter worth $202,000. Franklin Resources Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Sierra Bancorp in the third quarter worth $216,000. Finally, MetLife Investment Management LLC grew its position in Sierra Bancorp by 11.3% during the fourth quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC now owns 8,249 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $239,000 after buying an additional 838 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 55.40% of the company’s stock.

Sierra Bancorp Company Profile

Sierra Bancorp operates as the bank holding company for Bank of the Sierra that provides retail and commercial banking services to individuals and businesses in California. It accepts various deposit products, such as checking accounts, savings accounts, money market demand accounts, time deposits, retirement accounts, and sweep accounts.