Brookline Bancorp (NASDAQ:BRKL) Earns Hold Rating from Analysts at StockNews.com

Analysts at StockNews.com started coverage on shares of Brookline Bancorp (NASDAQ:BRKL) in a research report issued to clients and investors on Wednesday. The firm set a “hold” rating on the bank’s stock.

Other research analysts have also issued research reports about the stock. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lowered shares of Brookline Bancorp from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating and set a $14.50 target price on the stock. in a research report on Tuesday, December 24th. Raymond James raised shares of Brookline Bancorp from a “market perform” rating to a “strong-buy” rating and set a $16.00 price target for the company in a report on Friday, December 20th.

Brookline Bancorp Stock Up 1.6 %

Shares of BRKL opened at $12.57 on Wednesday. Brookline Bancorp has a 52 week low of $8.01 and a 52 week high of $13.15. The firm has a market cap of $1.12 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.32 and a beta of 0.79. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $12.08 and its 200 day simple moving average is $11.16. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.24, a quick ratio of 1.13 and a current ratio of 1.12.

Brookline Bancorp (NASDAQ:BRKL) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, January 29th. The bank reported $0.23 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.24 by ($0.01). Brookline Bancorp had a return on equity of 5.94% and a net margin of 10.51%. On average, analysts forecast that Brookline Bancorp will post 1.35 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Brookline Bancorp

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of BRKL. Versant Capital Management Inc increased its position in shares of Brookline Bancorp by 124.2% during the fourth quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 2,879 shares of the bank’s stock worth $34,000 after buying an additional 1,595 shares during the period. FMR LLC grew its holdings in Brookline Bancorp by 174.9% in the third quarter. FMR LLC now owns 5,154 shares of the bank’s stock worth $52,000 after purchasing an additional 3,279 shares during the period. KBC Group NV grew its holdings in Brookline Bancorp by 60.3% in the fourth quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 6,438 shares of the bank’s stock worth $76,000 after purchasing an additional 2,421 shares during the period. Creative Planning acquired a new stake in Brookline Bancorp in the third quarter worth $103,000. Finally, Townsquare Capital LLC acquired a new stake in Brookline Bancorp in the third quarter worth $111,000. 78.91% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Brookline Bancorp Company Profile

Brookline Bancorp, Inc operates as a bank holding company for the Brookline Bank that provide commercial, business, and retail banking services to corporate, municipal, and retail customers in the United States. Its deposit products include demand checking, NOW, money market, and savings accounts. The company’s loan portfolio primarily comprises first mortgage loans secured by commercial, multi-family, and residential real estate properties; loans to business entities comprising commercial lines of credit; loans to condominium associations; loans and leases used to finance equipment for small businesses; financing for construction and development projects; and home equity and other consumer loans.