Peoples Financial Services (NASDAQ:PFIS) Stock Crosses Below 200-Day Moving Average – Should You Sell?

Peoples Financial Services Corp. (NASDAQ:PFIS) crossed below its two hundred day moving average during trading on Monday . The stock has a two hundred day moving average of $49.74 and traded as low as $45.51. Peoples Financial Services shares last traded at $45.84, with a volume of 15,343 shares trading hands.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Separately, Stephens upgraded Peoples Financial Services from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, December 9th.

Peoples Financial Services Stock Performance

The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $49.60 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $49.74. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32, a current ratio of 0.93 and a quick ratio of 0.93. The company has a market cap of $458.26 million, a PE ratio of 40.57 and a beta of 0.56.

Peoples Financial Services (NASDAQ:PFIS) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The financial services provider reported $0.99 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.16 by ($0.17). Peoples Financial Services had a return on equity of 8.97% and a net margin of 3.70%. Research analysts anticipate that Peoples Financial Services Corp. will post 5.92 earnings per share for the current year.

Peoples Financial Services Cuts Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 14th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 28th were issued a dividend of $0.6175 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 28th. This represents a $2.47 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.39%. Peoples Financial Services’s dividend payout ratio is currently 218.58%.

Insider Activity

In other Peoples Financial Services news, Director Richard S. Lochen, Jr. acquired 1,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 5th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $47.12 per share, for a total transaction of $47,120.00. Following the acquisition, the director now owns 17,129 shares in the company, valued at approximately $807,118.48. This trade represents a 6.20 % increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 4.10% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Peoples Financial Services

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Empowered Funds LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Peoples Financial Services by 58.6% during the 3rd quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 45,345 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $2,126,000 after purchasing an additional 16,753 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its position in shares of Peoples Financial Services by 14.9% in the 3rd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 211,451 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $9,914,000 after acquiring an additional 27,463 shares during the period. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased its position in shares of Peoples Financial Services by 377.8% in the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 20,442 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $958,000 after acquiring an additional 16,164 shares during the period. Barclays PLC increased its position in shares of Peoples Financial Services by 304.8% in the 3rd quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 12,270 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $576,000 after acquiring an additional 9,239 shares during the period. Finally, PNC Financial Services Group Inc. increased its position in shares of Peoples Financial Services by 45.0% in the 3rd quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 50,884 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $2,385,000 after acquiring an additional 15,802 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 31.67% of the company’s stock.

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.