Community Financial System, Inc. (NYSE:CBU) Stock Rated “Moderate Buy” by Sell-Side Analysts

Community Financial System, Inc. (NYSE:CBU) has earned an average rating of “Moderate Buy” from the six ratings firms that are presently covering the firm, Marketbeat reports. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation, one has assigned a buy recommendation and one has assigned a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 1-year price target among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $69.25.

A number of analysts have issued reports on the stock. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Community Financial System from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, August 10th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Community Financial System in a report on Tuesday, September 29th. Piper Sandler reduced their price target on shares of Community Financial System from $71.00 to $65.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, October 6th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reduced their price target on Community Financial System from $70.00 to $68.00 and set a “market perform” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, July 30th. Finally, DA Davidson decreased their target price on Community Financial System from $70.00 to $69.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, October 12th.

Community Financial System Price Performance

NYSE:CBU opened at $64.89 on Monday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.77, a current ratio of 0.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.21. Community Financial System has a 52 week low of $53.46 and a 52 week high of $71.11. The company has a market capitalization of $3.41 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.23 and a beta of 0.75. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $61.71 and its two-hundred day moving average is $62.94.

Community Financial System (NYSE:CBU) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, October 27th. The bank reported $1.27 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.19 by $0.08. The firm had revenue of $230.21 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $227.15 million. Community Financial System had a return on equity of 11.78% and a net margin of 22.05%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 9.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.09 EPS. Equities analysts expect that Community Financial System will post 4.60 EPS for the current year.

Community Financial System Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, January 11th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, December 15th will be paid a $0.49 dividend. This represents a $1.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.0%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, December 15th. Community Financial System’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 44.24%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Community Financial System

In related news, Director Brenda M. Hall purchased 476 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 24th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $63.59 per share, for a total transaction of $30,268.84. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director owned 515 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $32,748.85. This represents a 1,220.51% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 1.15% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Community Financial System

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. BlackRock Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Community Financial System in the 2nd quarter valued at about $507,210,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp bought a new stake in shares of Community Financial System during the second quarter valued at about $36,523,000. Basswood Capital Management L.L.C. bought a new stake in Community Financial System in the second quarter worth approximately $21,547,000. NFJ Investment Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of Community Financial System during the second quarter worth $17,456,000. Finally, Bank of America Corp DE bought a new stake in Community Financial System during the second quarter worth about $16,576,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 73.79% of the company’s stock.

About Community Financial System

Community Financial System, Inc (NYSE: CBU) is a diversified financial services company headquartered in DeWitt, New York. Formerly known as Community Bank System, Inc, the company traces its banking history to 1866 and operates through Community Bank, N.A., along with other financial services businesses.

Its banking operations provide consumer and commercial deposit accounts, residential and commercial lending, agricultural financing, municipal banking, cash management, and other financial products.