StockNews.com Upgrades Peoples Financial Services (NASDAQ:PFIS) to Hold

Peoples Financial Services (NASDAQ:PFIS) was upgraded by research analysts at StockNews.com from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note issued on Tuesday.

Separately, Stephens dropped their target price on shares of Peoples Financial Services from $50.00 to $47.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, May 13th.

Peoples Financial Services Stock Down 1.8 %

Shares of NASDAQ PFIS opened at $44.28 on Tuesday. Peoples Financial Services has a 12 month low of $36.26 and a 12 month high of $51.00. The company has a current ratio of 0.92, a quick ratio of 0.92 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $45.81 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $41.87. The firm has a market capitalization of $441.91 million, a PE ratio of 13.58 and a beta of 0.51.

Peoples Financial Services (NASDAQ:PFIS) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, July 25th. The financial services provider reported $0.59 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.52 by $0.07. Peoples Financial Services had a return on equity of 5.93% and a net margin of 10.07%. The firm had revenue of $41.92 million during the quarter. Equities analysts expect that Peoples Financial Services will post 3.16 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity at Peoples Financial Services

In related news, Director Richard S. Lochen, Jr. bought 1,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, August 5th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $43.90 per share, with a total value of $43,900.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director now owns 15,555 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $682,864.50. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders purchased a total of 1,604 shares of company stock valued at $73,008 in the last 90 days. Corporate insiders own 4.10% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Peoples Financial Services

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. BNP Paribas Financial Markets increased its holdings in shares of Peoples Financial Services by 87.7% in the 1st quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 3,400 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $147,000 after purchasing an additional 1,589 shares in the last quarter. Trexquant Investment LP bought a new stake in Peoples Financial Services in the 4th quarter worth about $281,000. Quadrature Capital Ltd bought a new stake in Peoples Financial Services in the 4th quarter worth about $355,000. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC raised its position in Peoples Financial Services by 2.6% in the 2nd quarter. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC now owns 8,749 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $398,000 after buying an additional 220 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Rhumbline Advisers lifted its stake in Peoples Financial Services by 14.5% during the 2nd quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 12,450 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $567,000 after acquiring an additional 1,576 shares during the period. 31.67% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Peoples Financial Services Company Profile

Peoples Financial Services Corp. operates as the bank holding company for Peoples Security Bank and Trust Company that provides various commercial and retail banking services. The company accepts money market, negotiable order of withdrawal, savings, individual retirement, demand deposit, and certificates of deposit accounts.