C&F Financial (NASDAQ:CFFI) Rating Increased to Buy at StockNews.com

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

C&F Financial Stock Down 1.7 %

Shares of CFFI stock opened at $59.06 on Friday. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $75.21 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $70.58. The company has a current ratio of 0.90, a quick ratio of 0.88 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41. C&F Financial has a 1 year low of $33.51 and a 1 year high of $89.90. The firm has a market capitalization of $191.35 million, a P/E ratio of 9.79 and a beta of 0.33.

C&F Financial (NASDAQ:CFFI) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, January 28th. The financial services provider reported $1.87 earnings per share 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 firm also recently announced 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 represents a $1.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.12%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, March 14th. This is a positive change from C&F Financial’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.44. C&F Financial’s dividend payout ratio is presently 30.51%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, CEO Mark A. Fox sold 1,032 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, March 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $81.00, for a total transaction of $83,592.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 11,005 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $891,405. The trade was a 8.57 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 6.30% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of CFFI. 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 purchasing an additional 1,284 shares in the last quarter. Ritholtz Wealth Management acquired a new position in shares of C&F Financial during the fourth quarter worth $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 4th quarter valued at $338,000. Finally, Schonfeld Strategic Advisors LLC bought a new stake in C&F Financial during the 4th quarter worth $345,000. Institutional investors own 37.23% of the company’s stock.

About C&F Financial

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.