Enterprise Financial Services (NASDAQ:EFSC) Stock Crosses Above Fifty Day Moving Average – Here’s Why

Enterprise Financial Services Corporation (NASDAQ:EFSC) shares crossed above its 50 day moving average during trading on Monday. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $61.71 and traded as high as $62.76. Enterprise Financial Services shares last traded at $62.28, with a volume of 344,158 shares traded.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts have commented on the stock. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lifted their price objective on shares of Enterprise Financial Services from $70.00 to $72.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, July 24th. Piper Sandler raised shares of Enterprise Financial Services from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating and set a $64.00 target price on the stock in a report on Friday. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Enterprise Financial Services from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, October 17th. Raymond James Financial raised their price target on shares of Enterprise Financial Services from $65.00 to $72.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 1st. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Enterprise Financial Services in a report on Tuesday, October 6th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have issued a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $69.20.

Enterprise Financial Services Price Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35, a current ratio of 0.85 and a quick ratio of 0.85. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $61.71 and a 200 day moving average price of $60.45. The company has a market capitalization of $2.25 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.51 and a beta of 0.82.

Enterprise Financial Services (NASDAQ:EFSC) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, October 21st. The bank reported $1.17 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.38 by ($0.21). The company had revenue of $192.53 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $193.09 million. Enterprise Financial Services had a return on equity of 9.52% and a net margin of 18.83%. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Enterprise Financial Services Corporation will post 5.21 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Enterprise Financial Services Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 31st. Investors of record on Tuesday, December 15th will be paid a dividend of $0.36 per share. This represents a $1.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.3%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, December 15th. This is an increase from Enterprise Financial Services’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.35. Enterprise Financial Services’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 28.11%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Enterprise Financial Services

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of Enterprise Financial Services by 57.5% during the third quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 1,216 shares of the bank’s stock worth $72,000 after acquiring an additional 444 shares during the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC increased its holdings in shares of Enterprise Financial Services by 56.2% in the 3rd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 564 shares of the bank’s stock worth $33,000 after acquiring an additional 203 shares during the period. Versant Capital Management Inc increased its holdings in shares of Enterprise Financial Services by 66.3% in the 3rd quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 850 shares of the bank’s stock worth $50,000 after acquiring an additional 339 shares during the period. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Enterprise Financial Services in the 2nd quarter valued at about $509,000. Finally, Engineers Gate Manager LP lifted its position in Enterprise Financial Services by 221.4% in the 2nd quarter. Engineers Gate Manager LP now owns 16,037 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $1,057,000 after purchasing an additional 11,047 shares during the last quarter. 72.21% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Enterprise Financial Services

Enterprise Financial Services Corp. is a financial holding company headquartered in Clayton, Missouri. Its principal subsidiary, Enterprise Bank & Trust, provides banking and financial services to businesses, professionals, institutions and individuals.

The company offers commercial and small-business lending, deposit accounts, treasury management, private banking, wealth management, trust and estate services, and other financial solutions. Its commercial banking capabilities include financing for working capital, equipment, real estate and business expansion.

Enterprise Bank & Trust serves customers through banking markets that include St.