Saul Centers (NYSE:BFS) Posts Earnings Results, Beats Estimates By $0.10 EPS

Saul Centers (NYSE:BFS) posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday. The real estate investment trust reported $0.24 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.14 by $0.10, FiscalAI reports. The business had revenue of $72.80 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $78.98 million. Saul Centers had a net margin of 11.54% and a return on equity of 11.87%.

Saul Centers Stock Up 0.6%

Shares of BFS traded up $0.20 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $34.00. 106,565 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 86,945. The company has a market cap of $834.34 million, a PE ratio of 35.05 and a beta of 0.91. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $36.12 and its 200-day moving average is $34.52. Saul Centers has a 52 week low of $29.16 and a 52 week high of $38.42. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.54, a quick ratio of 1.71 and a current ratio of 1.71.

Saul Centers Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, July 31st. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, July 15th were given a $0.59 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, July 15th. This represents a $2.36 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 6.9%. Saul Centers’s payout ratio is currently 222.64%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Separately, Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Saul Centers in a research report on Friday, July 31st. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Hold rating, According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold”.

Insider Buying and Selling at Saul Centers

In related news, COO David Todd Pearson bought 2,600 shares of Saul Centers stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 28th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $34.74 per share, for a total transaction of $90,324.00. Following the acquisition, the chief operating officer owned 79,321 shares in the company, valued at $2,755,611.54. This trade represents a 3.39% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Insiders own 51.00% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Saul Centers

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Raymond James Financial Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Saul Centers during the 2nd quarter worth $27,000. Strs Ohio bought a new stake in Saul Centers during the first quarter valued at about $76,000. Quadrant Capital Group LLC bought a new stake in Saul Centers during the third quarter valued at about $82,000. Cubist Systematic Strategies LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Saul Centers in the first quarter valued at about $118,000. Finally, Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio acquired a new stake in shares of Saul Centers in the fourth quarter valued at about $135,000. 49.99% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Saul Centers

Saul Centers, Inc is a publicly traded real estate investment trust (REIT) that specializes in the ownership, development and management of retail properties. The company’s portfolio is focused on grocery-anchored and necessity-based shopping centers, providing stable, long-term cash flows through leasing arrangements with national and regional retailers. In addition to ground-up development, Saul Centers actively pursues redevelopment and adaptive reuse projects to enhance value in existing assets.

Founded by the Saul family in 1945, Saul Centers has grown from a local real estate development firm into a listed REIT while maintaining its headquarters in Bethesda, Maryland.