Saul Centers (NYSE:BFS) Sets New 52-Week Low After Earnings Miss

Saul Centers, Inc. (NYSE:BFS) shares reached a new 52-week low on Friday after the company announced weaker than expected quarterly earnings. The stock traded as low as $31.25 and last traded at $33.24, with a volume of 628 shares. The stock had previously closed at $32.89.

The real estate investment trust reported $0.71 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.73 by ($0.02). Saul Centers had a return on equity of 17.16% and a net margin of 20.84%. The firm had revenue of $70.55 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $69.76 million.

Saul Centers Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 30th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, April 15th were given a $0.59 dividend. This represents a $2.36 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 7.15%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, April 15th. Saul Centers’s payout ratio is 160.54%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Separately, StockNews.com downgraded Saul Centers from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, March 7th.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Saul Centers

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Barclays PLC raised its position in Saul Centers by 280.0% in the third quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 20,932 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $878,000 after acquiring an additional 15,424 shares during the period. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised its holdings in shares of Saul Centers by 7.1% in the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 55,666 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $2,336,000 after purchasing an additional 3,708 shares during the period. Inspire Investing LLC lifted its stake in Saul Centers by 5.0% in the fourth quarter. Inspire Investing LLC now owns 10,341 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $401,000 after purchasing an additional 497 shares during the last quarter. Rhumbline Advisers grew its holdings in Saul Centers by 1.7% during the fourth quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 34,243 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $1,329,000 after purchasing an additional 575 shares during the period. Finally, AlphaCentric Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Saul Centers in the fourth quarter worth $1,164,000. 49.99% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Saul Centers Stock Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.61, a current ratio of 1.13 and a quick ratio of 1.13. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $34.36 and a 200-day simple moving average of $37.04. The stock has a market capitalization of $798.88 million, a P/E ratio of 17.94 and a beta of 1.08.

About Saul Centers

Saul Centers is a self-managed, self-administered equity REIT headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland. Saul Centers currently operates and manages a real estate portfolio comprised of 61 properties that includes (a) 57 community and neighborhood Shopping Centers and Mixed-Use properties with approximately 9.8 million square feet of leasable area and (b) four land and development properties.