StockNews.com Upgrades C&F Financial (NASDAQ:CFFI) to “Buy”

StockNews.com upgraded shares of C&F Financial (NASDAQ:CFFI) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report report published on Sunday morning.

C&F Financial Price Performance

NASDAQ CFFI opened at $59.75 on Friday. C&F Financial has a 12-month low of $34.95 and a 12-month high of $89.90. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $70.23 and its 200-day moving average is $70.65. The company has a market capitalization of $193.59 million, a PE ratio of 9.91 and a beta of 0.32. The company has a quick ratio of 0.88, a current ratio of 0.90 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41.

C&F Financial (NASDAQ:CFFI) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, January 28th. The financial services provider reported $1.87 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. C&F Financial had a net margin of 11.67% and a return on equity of 8.97%.

C&F Financial Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, April 1st. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 14th were given a dividend of $0.46 per share. This is a positive change from C&F Financial’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.44. The ex-dividend date was Friday, March 14th. This represents a $1.84 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.08%. C&F Financial’s payout ratio is 30.51%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CEO Mark A. Fox sold 1,032 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, March 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $81.00, for a total value of $83,592.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 11,005 shares in the company, valued at approximately $891,405. This represents a 8.57 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Insiders own 6.30% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of C&F Financial

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Cubist Systematic Strategies LLC increased its position in C&F Financial by 234.7% during the 4th quarter. Cubist Systematic Strategies LLC now owns 1,831 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $130,000 after buying an additional 1,284 shares during the period. Ritholtz Wealth Management bought a new position in C&F Financial in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $218,000. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV bought a new position in shares of C&F Financial in the 4th quarter valued at $230,000. 683 Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of C&F Financial during the fourth quarter valued at about $338,000. Finally, Schonfeld Strategic Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in C&F Financial during the 4th quarter worth approximately $345,000. Institutional investors own 37.23% of the company’s stock.

C&F Financial Company Profile

C&F Financial Corp. is a bank holding company, which engages in the provision of banking services to individuals and businesses. It operates through the following segments: Community Banking, Mortgage Banking and Consumer Finance. The Community Banking segment provides checking and savings deposit accounts, business, real estate, development, mortgage, home equity, and installment loans.