Southern First Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:SFST – Get Free Report)’s stock price reached a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Thursday . The company traded as high as $63.90 and last traded at $63.85, with a volume of 47032 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $61.80.
Wall Street Analyst Weigh In
Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on the company. Weiss Ratings raised Southern First Bancshares from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a report on Monday, May 4th. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Southern First Bancshares from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 29th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $64.00.
Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on SFST
Southern First Bancshares Stock Up 3.2%
Southern First Bancshares (NASDAQ:SFST – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 21st. The bank reported $1.19 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.20 by ($0.01). Southern First Bancshares had a return on equity of 9.65% and a net margin of 15.21%.The business had revenue of $32.30 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $33.10 million. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Southern First Bancshares, Inc. will post 5.05 EPS for the current fiscal year.
Insider Transactions at Southern First Bancshares
In other Southern First Bancshares news, Director Leighton M. Cubbage sold 765 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, June 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $60.60, for a total value of $46,359.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 50,715 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,073,329. This trade represents a 1.49% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Company insiders own 6.90% of the company’s stock.
Institutional Investors Weigh In On Southern First Bancshares
A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Marshall Wace LLP increased its position in shares of Southern First Bancshares by 215.6% in the fourth quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 50,451 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $2,599,000 after buying an additional 34,466 shares in the last quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC raised its stake in shares of Southern First Bancshares by 17.7% during the 1st quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 150,607 shares of the bank’s stock worth $8,208,000 after buying an additional 22,700 shares during the last quarter. Informed Momentum Co LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Southern First Bancshares in the 4th quarter worth about $1,106,000. Sei Investments Co. boosted its position in shares of Southern First Bancshares by 147.3% in the 1st quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 34,706 shares of the bank’s stock worth $1,891,000 after buying an additional 20,673 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Gabelli Funds LLC grew its stake in Southern First Bancshares by 39.7% in the 4th quarter. Gabelli Funds LLC now owns 60,578 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $3,121,000 after acquiring an additional 17,228 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 75.00% of the company’s stock.
About Southern First Bancshares
Southern First Bancshares is the bank holding company for Southern First Bank, a community-oriented financial institution headquartered in Greenville, South Carolina. Through its wholly owned subsidiary, the company delivers a full spectrum of commercial and consumer banking services designed to meet the needs of small and midsize businesses, professionals, and individual customers. Southern First Bancshares operates under a relationship-driven model, emphasizing personalized service and local decision–making.
The company’s core offerings include deposit products such as checking, savings, money market accounts and certificates of deposit, alongside an array of lending solutions covering commercial real estate, construction, equipment financing and small business administration (SBA) loans.
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