Short Interest in Stifel Financial Corporation (NYSE:SF) Grows By 37.0%

Stifel Financial Corporation (NYSE:SF) was the target of a large increase in short interest in February. As of February 13th, there was short interest totaling 3,114,627 shares, an increase of 37.0% from the January 29th total of 2,274,193 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 1,344,977 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 2.3 days. Currently, 3.2% of the shares of the stock are short sold. Currently, 3.2% of the shares of the stock are short sold. Based on an average daily volume of 1,344,977 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 2.3 days.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have recently issued reports on SF. TD Cowen reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of Stifel Financial in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. Stifel Nicolaus set a $92.00 target price on shares of Stifel Financial in a report on Wednesday, January 14th. UBS Group set a $100.00 price target on shares of Stifel Financial and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, December 11th. Citigroup reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of Stifel Financial in a research note on Monday, January 12th. Finally, Zacks Research downgraded Stifel Financial from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, November 24th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $90.13.

Stifel Financial Trading Up 2.0%

SF stock traded up $1.48 during midday trading on Monday, hitting $75.53. The stock had a trading volume of 1,466,543 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,616,166. The firm has a market cap of $11.69 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.27 and a beta of 1.13. The company has a current ratio of 0.84, a quick ratio of 0.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.25. Stifel Financial has a 1-year low of $48.85 and a 1-year high of $89.83. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $83.68 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $80.06.

Stifel Financial (NYSE:SF) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 28th. The financial services provider reported $1.75 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.65 by $0.10. The firm had revenue of $1.56 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.50 billion. Stifel Financial had a return on equity of 15.53% and a net margin of 12.37%.The business’s revenue was up 14.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business posted $1.49 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Stifel Financial will post 8.26 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Stifel Financial Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 16th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 2nd will be issued a $0.51 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 2nd. This is an increase from Stifel Financial’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.46. This represents a $2.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.7%. Stifel Financial’s dividend payout ratio is presently 31.38%.

Insider Transactions at Stifel Financial

In other Stifel Financial news, insider David Rubulotta sold 600 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $82.87, for a total value of $49,724.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 1,488 shares in the company, valued at approximately $123,315.52. This trade represents a 28.74% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. 4.57% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Stifel Financial

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. NewEdge Advisors LLC increased its stake in Stifel Financial by 5.8% in the first quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 2,673 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $252,000 after purchasing an additional 147 shares in the last quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp boosted its position in shares of Stifel Financial by 1,162.6% during the 1st quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 2,702 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $255,000 after purchasing an additional 2,488 shares in the last quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Stifel Financial by 2.7% in the 2nd quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 4,085 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $424,000 after buying an additional 108 shares during the period. Hantz Financial Services Inc. increased its position in Stifel Financial by 5,528.6% in the 2nd quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 394 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $41,000 after buying an additional 387 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Keybank National Association OH bought a new stake in Stifel Financial in the 2nd quarter valued at about $440,000. 82.01% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

About Stifel Financial

Stifel Financial Corp. is a diversified financial services holding company headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri. Founded in 1890, the firm has grown into a full‐service brokerage and investment banking organization serving individual investors, corporations and institutions. Through its principal subsidiary, Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated, the company delivers a broad array of financial products and services backed by research‐driven insights.

The firm’s main business activities are organized into two core segments: Private Client Group and Institutional Group.