Zions Bancorporation, N.A. (NASDAQ:ZION) Short Interest Down 13.4% in February

Zions Bancorporation, N.A. (NASDAQ:ZION) was the target of a large decline in short interest in the month of February. As of February 13th, there was short interest totaling 4,615,386 shares, a decline of 13.4% from the January 29th total of 5,328,717 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 2,254,665 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 2.0 days. Currently, 3.2% of the shares of the company are sold short. Currently, 3.2% of the shares of the company are sold short. Based on an average trading volume of 2,254,665 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 2.0 days.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP Steven Dan Stephens sold 15,476 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, February 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $65.90, for a total transaction of $1,019,868.40. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 41,127 shares in the company, valued at $2,710,269.30. The trade was a 27.34% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, VP Eric Ellingsen sold 1,519 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $61.27, for a total value of $93,069.13. Following the sale, the vice president directly owned 40,361 shares in the company, valued at $2,472,918.47. This represents a 3.63% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last three months, insiders sold 55,581 shares of company stock worth $3,498,774. Company insiders own 2.22% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Zions Bancorporation, N.A.

A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Torren Management LLC acquired a new position in Zions Bancorporation, N.A. in the 4th quarter valued at $32,000. Leonteq Securities AG purchased a new stake in shares of Zions Bancorporation, N.A. during the fourth quarter worth $32,000. Traub Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Zions Bancorporation, N.A. in the second quarter valued at about $31,000. Atlas Capital Advisors Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Zions Bancorporation, N.A. in the fourth quarter worth about $36,000. Finally, Community Bank N.A. acquired a new position in Zions Bancorporation, N.A. during the third quarter worth about $36,000. 76.84% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

ZION has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Royal Bank Of Canada raised their price objective on shares of Zions Bancorporation, N.A. from $63.00 to $64.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. Stephens raised their price target on shares of Zions Bancorporation, N.A. from $63.00 to $65.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on shares of Zions Bancorporation, N.A. from $62.00 to $67.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, December 16th. Jefferies Financial Group upgraded shares of Zions Bancorporation, N.A. from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and upped their price objective for the stock from $55.00 to $60.00 in a research report on Wednesday, November 19th. Finally, Evercore raised their target price on Zions Bancorporation, N.A. from $65.00 to $68.00 and gave the company an “in-line” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have issued a Buy rating, fourteen have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Zions Bancorporation, N.A. has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $63.58.

Zions Bancorporation, N.A. Stock Performance

ZION opened at $58.22 on Thursday. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $60.37 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $56.94. Zions Bancorporation, N.A. has a 52-week low of $39.32 and a 52-week high of $66.18. The company has a market cap of $8.61 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.70 and a beta of 0.83. The company has a quick ratio of 0.85, a current ratio of 0.86 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.64.

Zions Bancorporation, N.A. Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, February 19th. Investors of record on Thursday, February 12th were issued a $0.45 dividend. This represents a $1.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.1%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, February 12th. Zions Bancorporation, N.A.’s payout ratio is presently 30.00%.

About Zions Bancorporation, N.A.

Zions Bancorporation, N.A. is a bank holding company headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah, offering a full suite of banking and financial services to individuals, businesses and institutions. Through its primary subsidiary, Zions Bank, the company provides commercial banking, retail banking and wealth management solutions designed to serve the needs of small businesses, middle‐market firms and high‐net‐worth clients. Its service portfolio includes deposit accounts, cash‐management tools, lending products, mortgage origination, treasury services and investment advisory services.

The company’s commercial banking segment delivers custom credit and treasury management services, including working capital lines of credit, equipment financing and international trade finance.