SmartFinancial (NASDAQ:SMBK) Reaches New 1-Year High After Dividend Announcement

SmartFinancial, Inc. (NASDAQ:SMBK) hit a new 52-week high during trading on Tuesday after the company announced a dividend. The company traded as high as $49.34 and last traded at $49.2450, with a volume of 26999 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $47.67.

The newly announced dividend which will be paid on Monday, August 17th. Stockholders of record on Friday, July 31st will be given a dividend of $0.09 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, July 31st. This represents a $0.36 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.7%. SmartFinancial’s dividend payout ratio is 11.54%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms have recently weighed in on SMBK. Benchmark increased their price objective on shares of SmartFinancial from $54.00 to $56.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upped their price target on shares of SmartFinancial from $42.00 to $46.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 21st. Finally, Raymond James Financial reaffirmed a “strong-buy” rating and set a $58.00 price target on shares of SmartFinancial in a research report on Wednesday. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have assigned a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $49.50.

SmartFinancial Price Performance

The business has a 50-day moving average of $44.58 and a 200 day moving average of $41.73. The company has a current ratio of 0.90, a quick ratio of 0.90 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.10. The firm has a market capitalization of $827.53 million, a P/E ratio of 22.62 and a beta of 0.70.

SmartFinancial News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting SmartFinancial this week:

• Positive Sentiment: SmartFinancial was upgraded to Zacks Rank #2 (Buy), signaling improving earnings expectations and potentially supporting near-term upside. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts set a consensus target price of $47.50 and maintain a Moderate Buy rating profile, which suggests Wall Street remains constructive on the stock. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Q2 earnings-call coverage highlighted strong loan growth, strategic progress, and management’s confidence in moving closer to a $1 EPS goal, with one report noting the company is targeting a $4 EPS run rate by Q4 2026. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: The company also disclosed a quarterly dividend of $0.09 per share, reinforcing capital return to shareholders. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: SmartFinancial’s Q2 results and earnings-call materials were released, but the articles provided do not show a major new negative surprise; investors may still be digesting the quarter’s details and forward guidance. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: No major company-specific negative news was provided, so any pullback in SMBK may simply reflect profit-taking after a strong run and mixed interpretation of the earnings details.

Insider Activity at SmartFinancial

In other SmartFinancial news, Director Cathy G. Ackermann purchased 3,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 4th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $42.12 per share, with a total value of $126,360.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 19,831 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $835,281.72. The trade was a 17.82% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director Victor Lynn Barrett acquired 3,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 10th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $43.78 per share, for a total transaction of $131,340.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 151,724 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,642,476.72. The trade was a 2.02% increase in their position. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last ninety days, insiders bought 6,290 shares of company stock valued at $269,677. 6.93% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On SmartFinancial

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. AQR Capital Management LLC raised its stake in shares of SmartFinancial by 150.9% in the first quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 51,972 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $1,615,000 after buying an additional 31,255 shares during the period. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. increased its holdings in SmartFinancial by 4.3% in the 1st quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 9,481 shares of the bank’s stock worth $295,000 after acquiring an additional 390 shares during the last quarter. Jane Street Group LLC raised its stake in SmartFinancial by 263.2% in the 1st quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 42,385 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $1,317,000 after acquiring an additional 30,715 shares during the period. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership raised its stake in SmartFinancial by 11.1% in the 2nd quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 46,565 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $1,573,000 after acquiring an additional 4,639 shares during the period. Finally, EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in SmartFinancial by 46.0% during the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,499 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $51,000 after purchasing an additional 472 shares during the last quarter. 58.78% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

SmartFinancial Company Profile

SmartFinancial, Inc is a bank holding company headquartered in Knoxville, Tennessee, operating through its primary subsidiary, SmartBank. Incorporated in 2006, the company provides a full suite of banking and financial services to individuals, small and middle-market businesses and public entities across its regional footprint. SmartFinancial’s network of branch offices and digital platforms combines community-banking relationships with modern technology to serve its customers’ evolving needs.

Through SmartBank, the company offers a broad range of deposit products, including checking, savings and certificate of deposit accounts, alongside consumer and commercial lending solutions.