Zacks Investment Management Takes Position in Saul Centers, Inc. (NYSE:BFS)

Zacks Investment Management bought a new stake in shares of Saul Centers, Inc. (NYSE:BFS) in the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm bought 16,725 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock, valued at approximately $702,000.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Millennium Management LLC bought a new position in Saul Centers during the second quarter worth $3,272,000. AQR Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in Saul Centers by 115.0% during the second quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 59,675 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $2,194,000 after purchasing an additional 31,919 shares during the last quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC bought a new position in Saul Centers during the second quarter worth $1,060,000. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in Saul Centers by 149.6% during the third quarter. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC now owns 40,512 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $1,700,000 after purchasing an additional 24,281 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Renaissance Technologies LLC lifted its stake in Saul Centers by 10.2% during the second quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 228,474 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $8,401,000 after purchasing an additional 21,100 shares during the last quarter. 49.99% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages recently issued reports on BFS. StockNews.com upgraded Saul Centers from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 5th. B. Riley increased their target price on Saul Centers from $43.50 to $45.50 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, August 22nd.

Saul Centers Price Performance

Shares of BFS opened at $40.44 on Wednesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $977.35 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.98 and a beta of 1.11. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.61, a quick ratio of 1.13 and a current ratio of 1.13. Saul Centers, Inc. has a one year low of $34.87 and a one year high of $42.39. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $40.30 and its 200-day moving average is $39.17.

Saul Centers Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, January 31st. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, January 15th will be issued a dividend of $0.59 per share. This represents a $2.36 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.84%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, January 15th. Saul Centers’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 128.26%.

Saul Centers Company Profile

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.