Cullen/Frost Bankers, Inc. (NYSE:CFR) Given Consensus Rating of “Reduce” by Brokerages

Cullen/Frost Bankers, Inc. (NYSE:CFR) has been assigned an average recommendation of “Reduce” from the thirteen ratings firms that are currently covering the company, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have assigned a hold rating and two have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average twelve-month price target among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $132.54.

Several research analysts recently issued reports on CFR shares. DA Davidson lowered Cullen/Frost Bankers from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and raised their target price for the stock from $138.00 to $143.00 in a research report on Monday, February 3rd. Maxim Group raised their price objective on Cullen/Frost Bankers from $138.00 to $149.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, November 1st. Compass Point lifted their price objective on Cullen/Frost Bankers from $122.00 to $145.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, December 10th. Citigroup increased their target price on shares of Cullen/Frost Bankers from $104.00 to $113.00 and gave the company a “sell” rating in a research report on Monday, November 4th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods boosted their price target on shares of Cullen/Frost Bankers from $140.00 to $148.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research report on Monday, February 3rd.

Cullen/Frost Bankers Stock Performance

NYSE:CFR opened at $142.34 on Friday. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $138.35 and its 200-day moving average is $127.36. The stock has a market cap of $9.14 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.05, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 6.63 and a beta of 0.99. Cullen/Frost Bankers has a 1-year low of $94.09 and a 1-year high of $147.64. The company has a current ratio of 0.68, a quick ratio of 0.68 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.06.

Cullen/Frost Bankers (NYSE:CFR) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 30th. The bank reported $2.36 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.17 by $0.19. Cullen/Frost Bankers had a net margin of 20.44% and a return on equity of 15.95%. Equities research analysts anticipate that Cullen/Frost Bankers will post 8.78 earnings per share for the current year.

Cullen/Frost Bankers Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 14th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 28th will be paid a $0.95 dividend. This represents a $3.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.67%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 28th. Cullen/Frost Bankers’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 42.84%.

Insider Activity

In other Cullen/Frost Bankers news, insider Paul Bracher sold 11,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, January 31st. The stock was sold at an average price of $139.45, for a total value of $1,603,675.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 102,946 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $14,355,819.70. This trade represents a 10.05 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 2.89% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Cullen/Frost Bankers

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Covestor Ltd raised its holdings in Cullen/Frost Bankers by 169.9% during the third quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 224 shares of the bank’s stock worth $25,000 after buying an additional 141 shares during the last quarter. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB bought a new stake in shares of Cullen/Frost Bankers during the third quarter worth about $29,000. UMB Bank n.a. raised its holdings in shares of Cullen/Frost Bankers by 45.8% in the 4th quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 245 shares of the bank’s stock worth $33,000 after acquiring an additional 77 shares during the last quarter. Brooklyn Investment Group bought a new position in Cullen/Frost Bankers in the 3rd quarter valued at about $44,000. Finally, Blue Trust Inc. boosted its stake in Cullen/Frost Bankers by 239.0% during the 4th quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 339 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $46,000 after purchasing an additional 239 shares during the last quarter. 86.90% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Cullen/Frost Bankers Company Profile

Cullen/Frost Bankers, Inc operates as the bank holding company for Frost Bank that provides commercial and consumer banking services in Texas. The company offers commercial banking services to corporations, including financing for industrial and commercial properties, interim construction related to industrial and commercial properties, equipment, inventories and accounts receivables, and acquisitions; and treasury management services, as well as originates commercial leasing services.