Equity Bancshares (NYSE:EQBK) Director Lisa Ann Schlehuber Purchases 989 Shares of Stock

Equity Bancshares, Inc. (NYSE:EQBK) Director Lisa Ann Schlehuber purchased 989 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, July 28th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $50.98 per share, with a total value of $50,419.22. Following the purchase, the director directly owned 2,092 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $106,650.16. This trade represents a 89.66% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink.

Equity Bancshares Stock Down 0.8%

Shares of Equity Bancshares stock opened at $50.59 on Thursday. The company has a current ratio of 0.93, a quick ratio of 0.93 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $48.03 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $46.38. The company has a market cap of $1.04 billion, a P/E ratio of 30.30 and a beta of 0.77. Equity Bancshares, Inc. has a 12-month low of $36.04 and a 12-month high of $51.73.

Equity Bancshares (NYSE:EQBK) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, July 14th. The company reported $1.41 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.24 by $0.17. Equity Bancshares had a net margin of 8.26% and a return on equity of 13.67%. The firm had revenue of $81.93 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $85.10 million. Research analysts anticipate that Equity Bancshares, Inc. will post 5.18 EPS for the current year.

Equity Bancshares Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, July 15th. Investors of record on Tuesday, June 30th were paid a $0.18 dividend. This represents a $0.72 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, June 30th. Equity Bancshares’s dividend payout ratio is presently 43.11%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms have weighed in on EQBK. Hovde Group started coverage on Equity Bancshares in a research report on Wednesday, June 10th. They set a “market perform” rating and a $51.00 price objective on the stock. Piper Sandler reissued an “overweight” rating on shares of Equity Bancshares in a research report on Monday, June 22nd. Royal Bank Of Canada restated a “buy” rating on shares of Equity Bancshares in a research note on Monday, June 22nd. Weiss Ratings upgraded Equity Bancshares from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research report on Tuesday. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods restated a “market perform” rating on shares of Equity Bancshares in a research report on Monday, June 22nd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have assigned a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $54.17.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Equity Bancshares

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of EQBK. Bank of America Corp DE grew its holdings in Equity Bancshares by 98.7% in the first quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 32,616 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,448,000 after purchasing an additional 16,200 shares during the period. Empowered Funds LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Equity Bancshares by 8.4% during the first quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 87,024 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,865,000 after purchasing an additional 6,707 shares during the last quarter. Quantinno Capital Management LP lifted its holdings in shares of Equity Bancshares by 74.5% during the first quarter. Quantinno Capital Management LP now owns 15,444 shares of the company’s stock valued at $686,000 after purchasing an additional 6,593 shares during the last quarter. Sei Investments Co. boosted its position in shares of Equity Bancshares by 38.1% in the 1st quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 17,531 shares of the company’s stock worth $779,000 after purchasing an additional 4,836 shares in the last quarter. Finally, First Trust Advisors LP boosted its position in shares of Equity Bancshares by 0.6% in the 1st quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 48,621 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,159,000 after purchasing an additional 300 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 71.80% of the company’s stock.

About Equity Bancshares

Equity Bancshares, Inc is the bank holding company for Equity Bank, a regional financial services provider headquartered in Wichita, Kansas. As a publicly traded company on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker EQBK, Equity Bancshares operates a network of branches and lending offices across Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Illinois and Colorado. Its geographic footprint spans both urban and rural markets, reflecting a focus on supporting small businesses, agricultural enterprises and individual consumers throughout the Midwest.

The company’s core business activities encompass a full spectrum of commercial and consumer banking services.