Franklin Financial Services (NASDAQ:FRAF) Stock Rating Lowered by Wall Street Zen

Franklin Financial Services (NASDAQ:FRAF) was downgraded by Wall Street Zen from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report issued on Saturday.

FRAF has been the subject of a number of other reports. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Franklin Financial Services in a research report on Monday, April 27th. Hovde Group increased their price target on shares of Franklin Financial Services from $59.00 to $64.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, April 27th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $64.00.

Franklin Financial Services Price Performance

NASDAQ FRAF opened at $58.72 on Friday. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $56.02 and a 200-day simple moving average of $52.86. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.12, a current ratio of 0.93 and a quick ratio of 0.93. The firm has a market capitalization of $263.65 million and a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.00. Franklin Financial Services has a 52-week low of $33.44 and a 52-week high of $60.00.

Franklin Financial Services (NASDAQ:FRAF) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 23rd. The company reported $1.48 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.34 by $0.14. The business had revenue of $23.88 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $23.30 million. Franklin Financial Services had a net margin of 17.73% and a return on equity of 14.13%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP Steven D. Butz sold 1,400 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $57.73, for a total transaction of $80,822.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 5,610 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $323,865.30. This trade represents a 19.97% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Insiders own 5.93% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Franklin Financial Services

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in FRAF. Russell Investments Group Ltd. raised its position in shares of Franklin Financial Services by 69.2% in the fourth quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 863 shares of the company’s stock valued at $43,000 after purchasing an additional 353 shares during the period. BNP Paribas Financial Markets raised its position in shares of Franklin Financial Services by 84.1% in the third quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 950 shares of the company’s stock valued at $44,000 after purchasing an additional 434 shares during the period. Royal Bank of Canada raised its position in shares of Franklin Financial Services by 5.1% in the first quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 10,319 shares of the company’s stock valued at $527,000 after purchasing an additional 502 shares during the period. Bridgeway Capital Management LLC raised its position in shares of Franklin Financial Services by 0.8% in the second quarter. Bridgeway Capital Management LLC now owns 64,715 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,241,000 after purchasing an additional 541 shares during the period. Finally, Bank of New York Mellon Corp raised its position in shares of Franklin Financial Services by 7.2% in the first quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 11,761 shares of the company’s stock valued at $601,000 after purchasing an additional 786 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 24.80% of the company’s stock.

Franklin Financial Services Company Profile

Franklin Financial Services, Inc (NASDAQ: FRAF) is a U.S.‐listed specialty finance company that makes and acquires secured loans, with a focus on asset-based lending and mortgage warehouse financing. Through its wholly owned subsidiary, FFS Investment Company, a Maryland corporation regulated as a business development company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, Franklin Financial provides revolving lines of credit, term loans and other credit facilities secured primarily by residential and commercial mortgage loans, receivables and inventory.