Banner Corporation $BANR Shares Sold by Fisher Asset Management LLC

Fisher Asset Management LLC lessened its holdings in Banner Corporation (NASDAQ:BANR) by 6.2% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 367,148 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after selling 24,103 shares during the quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC owned about 1.08% of Banner worth $23,005,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Financial Life Planners purchased a new stake in shares of Banner in the 3rd quarter valued at $32,000. Aquatic Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Banner during the third quarter worth $36,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Banner during the second quarter worth $45,000. Lodestone Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Banner during the fourth quarter valued at $66,000. Finally, CWM LLC lifted its position in Banner by 12.9% during the fourth quarter. CWM LLC now owns 1,828 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $115,000 after purchasing an additional 209 shares during the period. 87.33% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Banner Trading Up 1.1%

Shares of BANR stock opened at $65.36 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.10, a current ratio of 0.86 and a quick ratio of 0.85. The company has a market cap of $2.22 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.00 and a beta of 0.85. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $63.22 and a 200-day simple moving average of $63.18. Banner Corporation has a 1-year low of $57.05 and a 1-year high of $69.83.

Banner (NASDAQ:BANR) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 22nd. The financial services provider reported $1.59 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.38 by $0.21. The firm had revenue of $168.91 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $169.60 million. Banner had a net margin of 23.24% and a return on equity of 10.77%. On average, equities research analysts expect that Banner Corporation will post 6.12 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Banner Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 15th. Investors of record on Tuesday, May 5th were given a dividend of $0.52 per share. This is a boost from Banner’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.50. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, May 5th. This represents a $2.08 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.2%. Banner’s payout ratio is currently 35.02%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts have weighed in on the company. DA Davidson reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and set a $72.00 price target on shares of Banner in a research report on Monday, May 4th. Wall Street Zen raised Banner from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, February 28th. Weiss Ratings raised Banner from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Monday, March 9th. Piper Sandler lifted their price target on Banner from $63.00 to $67.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, April 27th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods boosted their price target on Banner from $73.00 to $75.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a report on Monday, May 18th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $71.00.

Banner Profile

Banner Corporation, through its principal subsidiary Banner Bank, operates as a regional commercial bank headquartered in Walla Walla, Washington. Founded in 2000 as a bank holding company, Banner traces its origins to community banking roots in Eastern Washington dating back to the late 19th century. Over the past two decades, the company has grown through both organic expansion and strategic acquisitions, establishing a strong presence throughout the Pacific Northwest.

The company offers a comprehensive suite of financial products and services for individual and business clients.