Southern Missouri Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ:SMBC) Sees Large Drop in Short Interest

Southern Missouri Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ:SMBC) was the target of a large decrease in short interest in the month of January. As of January 31st, there was short interest totalling 53,000 shares, a decrease of 16.9% from the January 15th total of 63,800 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 35,300 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 1.5 days.

Southern Missouri Bancorp Stock Down 0.7 %

Shares of NASDAQ SMBC opened at $60.08 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 0.98, a quick ratio of 0.98 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.26. Southern Missouri Bancorp has a 12-month low of $39.00 and a 12-month high of $68.69. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $58.63 and its 200-day moving average price is $58.39. The stock has a market capitalization of $677.70 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.12 and a beta of 0.99.

Southern Missouri Bancorp (NASDAQ:SMBC) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Monday, February 3rd. The savings and loans company reported $1.30 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.23 by $0.07. Southern Missouri Bancorp had a return on equity of 10.56% and a net margin of 17.72%. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Southern Missouri Bancorp will post 5.06 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Southern Missouri Bancorp Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 28th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 14th will be given a dividend of $0.23 per share. This represents a $0.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.53%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 14th. Southern Missouri Bancorp’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 20.09%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have commented on SMBC. Stephens reissued an “overweight” rating and set a $76.00 price objective on shares of Southern Missouri Bancorp in a report on Tuesday, January 28th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods cut their price target on Southern Missouri Bancorp from $70.00 to $68.00 and set a “market perform” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, January 30th. Finally, Piper Sandler lifted their price objective on Southern Missouri Bancorp from $62.00 to $66.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 30th.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director Douglas Bagby sold 7,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, January 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $59.08, for a total value of $413,560.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 21,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,240,680. The trade was a 25.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 16.60% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Southern Missouri Bancorp

Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV bought a new stake in Southern Missouri Bancorp in the fourth quarter worth about $5,228,000. Northern Trust Corp raised its holdings in shares of Southern Missouri Bancorp by 5.0% in the fourth quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 98,595 shares of the savings and loans company’s stock worth $5,656,000 after buying an additional 4,722 shares during the period. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD bought a new stake in shares of Southern Missouri Bancorp during the 4th quarter worth approximately $220,000. MetLife Investment Management LLC boosted its holdings in Southern Missouri Bancorp by 7.5% during the 4th quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC now owns 5,577 shares of the savings and loans company’s stock valued at $320,000 after acquiring an additional 391 shares during the period. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP grew its position in Southern Missouri Bancorp by 4.9% in the 4th quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 397,765 shares of the savings and loans company’s stock valued at $22,820,000 after acquiring an additional 18,623 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 49.49% of the company’s stock.

Southern Missouri Bancorp Company Profile

Southern Missouri Bancorp, Inc operates as the bank holding company for Southern Bank that provides banking and financial services to individuals and corporate customers in the United States. The company offers deposits products, including interest-bearing and noninterest-bearing transaction accounts, saving accounts, certificates of deposit, retirement savings plans, and money market deposit accounts.