Simmons First National (NASDAQ:SFNC) Releases Quarterly Earnings Results, Hits Estimates

Simmons First National (NASDAQ:SFNC) issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday. The bank reported $0.47 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $0.47, Zacks reports. Simmons First National had a positive return on equity of 7.81% and a negative net margin of 25.44%.The business had revenue of $241.37 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $243.02 million. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $0.26 EPS. Simmons First National’s quarterly revenue was up 15.2% compared to the same quarter last year.

Simmons First National Stock Up 5.2%

Shares of SFNC stock opened at $21.52 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 0.88, a quick ratio of 0.88 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18. Simmons First National has a 1 year low of $17.00 and a 1 year high of $22.17. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $20.09 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $19.33. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.12 billion, a P/E ratio of -8.41 and a beta of 0.89.

Simmons First National Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 1st. Investors of record on Friday, March 13th were given a $0.215 dividend. This represents a $0.86 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.0%. This is an increase from Simmons First National’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.21. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, March 13th. Simmons First National’s payout ratio is -31.05%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

SFNC has been the topic of a number of research reports. Raymond James Financial raised shares of Simmons First National from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $23.00 price target on the stock in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. Morgan Stanley lowered their price objective on shares of Simmons First National from $23.00 to $21.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, March 31st. National Bank Financial set a $21.00 price objective on shares of Simmons First National in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. Zacks Research lowered shares of Simmons First National from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, March 26th. Finally, DA Davidson reiterated a “neutral” rating and set a $21.00 target price on shares of Simmons First National in a report on Friday. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have given a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Simmons First National has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $21.86.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Simmons First National

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of Simmons First National by 197.5% in the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,663 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $32,000 after acquiring an additional 1,104 shares during the last quarter. Osaic Holdings Inc. grew its stake in Simmons First National by 32.0% in the second quarter. Osaic Holdings Inc. now owns 2,658 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $50,000 after purchasing an additional 644 shares in the last quarter. iSAM Funds UK Ltd acquired a new position in shares of Simmons First National during the 4th quarter worth approximately $192,000. Focus Partners Advisor Solutions LLC bought a new stake in shares of Simmons First National during the 4th quarter worth approximately $218,000. Finally, Beacon Pointe Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Simmons First National by 9.1% during the 4th quarter. Beacon Pointe Advisors LLC now owns 12,080 shares of the bank’s stock worth $228,000 after purchasing an additional 1,007 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 27.58% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting Simmons First National

Here are the key news stories impacting Simmons First National this week:

• Positive Sentiment: EPS jumped to $0.47 from $0.26 a year ago and matched consensus, signaling meaningful earnings improvement that supports valuation upside. Simmons First National Corporation Reports First Quarter EPS of $0.47
• Positive Sentiment: Core loan growth accelerated (total loans up ~10% annualized) and average deposits rose ~6% annualized, supporting future net interest income. Q1 Press Release
• Positive Sentiment: Net interest margin ticked up (~3 bps) and key profitability metrics (ROA, ROE, adjusted ROTCE) improved year-over-year, indicating operating leverage despite a higher efficiency ratio versus some peers. Q1 Press Release
• Neutral Sentiment: Management materials and the earnings-call transcript are available for more color on outlook, credit, and capital deployment; investors can review the slide deck and call transcript to assess guidance and commentary. Earnings Presentation Earnings Call Transcript
• Negative Sentiment: Total revenue missed the Street by a small margin ($241.4M reported vs. ~$243.0M expected), which could temper multiple expansion until top-line momentum is clearer. Q1 Earnings Summary
• Negative Sentiment: DA Davidson reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and set a $21.00 price target, which is below the recent trade level and could act as near-term resistance for the stock. DA Davidson Note (Benzinga)
• Negative Sentiment: Provision expense exceeded net charge-offs by $5.5M in the quarter, a modestly cautious credit signal investors will watch alongside asset-quality metrics. Q1 Press Release

Simmons First National declared that its board has authorized a share repurchase plan on Tuesday, February 17th that allows the company to repurchase $175.00 million in shares. This repurchase authorization allows the bank to reacquire up to 5.7% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are usually an indication that the company’s management believes its shares are undervalued.

About Simmons First National

Simmons First National Corporation (NASDAQ:SFNC) is a bank holding company headquartered in Pine Bluff, Arkansas. Through its primary operating subsidiary, Simmons Bank, the company maintains a network of more than 200 branches across Arkansas, Tennessee, Missouri, Mississippi, Texas, Oklahoma and North Carolina. Simmons First National offers a full suite of financial services to individuals, small businesses and commercial clients, emphasizing relationship-driven community banking.

The company’s core business activities span deposit-taking, lending and payment services.