Swiss National Bank Has $4.52 Million Holdings in Banner Co. (NASDAQ:BANR)

Swiss National Bank increased its stake in shares of Banner Co. (NASDAQ:BANR) by 0.7% during the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 67,700 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 500 shares during the quarter. Swiss National Bank’s holdings in Banner were worth $4,520,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. USA Financial Formulas acquired a new position in Banner during the 4th quarter worth $32,000. Financial Life Planners acquired a new stake in shares of Banner during the 4th quarter worth approximately $32,000. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC raised its position in shares of Banner by 167.0% during the 4th quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 705 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $47,000 after acquiring an additional 441 shares during the last quarter. KBC Group NV increased its holdings in Banner by 46.0% in the fourth quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 1,656 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $111,000 after purchasing an additional 522 shares during the last quarter. Finally, US Bancorp DE lifted its stake in Banner by 21.8% in the fourth quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 1,749 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $117,000 after buying an additional 313 shares during the period. 87.33% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Banner Stock Up 3.5 %

Banner stock opened at $66.02 on Tuesday. The company has a 50 day moving average of $67.89 and a 200-day moving average of $66.95. The company has a quick ratio of 0.85, a current ratio of 0.86 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32. Banner Co. has a twelve month low of $42.00 and a twelve month high of $78.05. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.28 billion, a PE ratio of 13.53 and a beta of 1.07.

Banner (NASDAQ:BANR) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 22nd. The financial services provider reported $1.33 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.22 by $0.11. Banner had a return on equity of 10.03% and a net margin of 20.28%. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Banner Co. will post 5.23 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Banner Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 14th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, February 4th were paid a dividend of $0.48 per share. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, February 4th. This represents a $1.92 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.91%. Banner’s dividend payout ratio is currently 39.34%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have recently commented on the company. Stephens reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and issued a $82.00 price target on shares of Banner in a research note on Thursday, January 23rd. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upped their target price on shares of Banner from $69.00 to $81.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 4th. Finally, DA Davidson lifted their price target on shares of Banner from $73.00 to $76.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, January 24th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $74.20.

Banner Profile

Banner Corporation operates as the bank holding company for Banner Bank that engages in the provision of commercial banking and financial products and services to individuals, businesses, and public sector entities in the United States. It accepts various deposit instruments, including interest-bearing and non-interest-bearing checking accounts, money market deposit accounts, regular savings accounts, and certificates of deposit, as well as treasury management services and retirement savings plans.