Brookline Bancorp (NASDAQ:BRKL) Earns Hold Rating from Analysts at StockNews.com

StockNews.com began coverage on shares of Brookline Bancorp (NASDAQ:BRKL) in a report issued on Monday morning. The firm issued a hold rating on the bank’s stock.

Other equities analysts have also issued research reports about the company. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lowered Brookline Bancorp from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating and set a $14.50 price objective on the stock. in a research note on Tuesday, December 24th. Raymond James raised Brookline Bancorp from a “market perform” rating to a “strong-buy” rating and set a $16.00 price target for the company in a report on Friday, December 20th.

Brookline Bancorp Stock Up 3.0 %

Shares of NASDAQ BRKL opened at $11.19 on Monday. Brookline Bancorp has a 52-week low of $8.01 and a 52-week high of $13.15. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.24, a quick ratio of 1.13 and a current ratio of 1.12. The business has a fifty day moving average of $11.74 and a two-hundred day moving average of $11.47. The stock has a market cap of $997.08 million, a PE ratio of 14.53 and a beta of 0.78.

Brookline Bancorp (NASDAQ:BRKL) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 29th. The bank reported $0.23 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.24 by ($0.01). Brookline Bancorp had a net margin of 10.51% and a return on equity of 5.94%. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Brookline Bancorp will post 1.35 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Brookline Bancorp Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 28th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 14th were paid a $0.135 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 14th. This represents a $0.54 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.83%. Brookline Bancorp’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 70.13%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Brookline Bancorp

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Sterling Capital Management LLC increased its position in Brookline Bancorp by 805.4% in the fourth quarter. Sterling Capital Management LLC now owns 2,825 shares of the bank’s stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 2,513 shares during the period. Versant Capital Management Inc grew its position in shares of Brookline Bancorp by 124.2% during the 4th quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 2,879 shares of the bank’s stock worth $34,000 after buying an additional 1,595 shares during the period. Pinney & Scofield Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Brookline Bancorp during the fourth quarter worth approximately $35,000. FMR LLC raised its stake in shares of Brookline Bancorp by 174.9% during the third quarter. FMR LLC now owns 5,154 shares of the bank’s stock worth $52,000 after buying an additional 3,279 shares during the last quarter. Finally, C M Bidwell & Associates Ltd. acquired a new position in Brookline Bancorp in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $72,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 78.91% of the company’s stock.

About Brookline Bancorp

Brookline Bancorp, Inc operates as a bank holding company for the Brookline Bank that provide commercial, business, and retail banking services to corporate, municipal, and retail customers in the United States. Its deposit products include demand checking, NOW, money market, and savings accounts. The company’s loan portfolio primarily comprises first mortgage loans secured by commercial, multi-family, and residential real estate properties; loans to business entities comprising commercial lines of credit; loans to condominium associations; loans and leases used to finance equipment for small businesses; financing for construction and development projects; and home equity and other consumer loans.