Investar Holding Co. (NASDAQ:ISTR) experienced a notable decline in short interest during the month of August, according to recent reports. As of August 31st, there were a total of 45,300 shares sold short, which represents an 8.3% drop from the total of 49,400 shares recorded on August 15th. Approximately 0.5% of the company’s shares are currently sold short. With an average daily volume of 42,500 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently at 1.1 days.
A number of research firms have recently published reports on ISTR’s performance. StockNews.com initiated coverage on Investar with a “hold” rating on Thursday, August 17th. Furthermore, Piper Sandler raised their price target on ISTR from $13.00 to $15.00 in a report released on Monday, July 24th. Finally, DA Davidson also increased their price target for Investar from $13.00 to $14.75 and assigned it a “neutral” rating in their report published on Monday, July 24th.
In terms of institutional investments and hedge funds’ actions regarding ISTR, there have been some notable changes in their positions lately. Bank of New York Mellon Corp raised its holdings in Investar by 4.3% during the first quarter and now owns 12,901 shares valued at approximately $246,000 after acquiring an additional 526 shares during that period.
Dimensional Fund Advisors LP also grew its holdings by approximately 1.1% during the first quarter and now possesses 217,288 shares worth around $4,148,000 after acquiring an additional 2,301 shares.
Fourthstone LLC grew its holdings by approximately 19.9% during the first quarter and now owns approximately 967,273 shares valued at approximately $18,465,000 after acquiring an additional 160,309 shares.
State Street Corp grew its holdings by 6.2% during the first quarter and currently holds 28,224 shares valued at approximately $541,000 after acquiring an additional 1,656 shares.
Finally, Wellington Management Group LLP increased its holdings by approximately 19.2% during the first quarter and now owns roughly 189,308 shares valued at around $3,614,000 after purchasing an additional 30,477 shares. Institutional investors and hedge funds account for about 55.10% of the company’s total stock.
Additionally, Investar recently declared a quarterly dividend which was paid out on Monday, July 31st. Stockholders as of Monday, July 3rd were entitled to a dividend of $0.10 per share. This represents an annualized dividend of $0.40 and a dividend yield of 3.33%. The company’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) currently stands at15.04%.
For more information on Investar Holding Co.’s performance and stock insights, please refer to our latest stock report on ISTR or visit the official NASDAQ website.
Please note that this article is dated September 19th, 2023 and all information provided is accurate as of that date.
Meta Platforms, Inc.
META
Buy
Updated on: 03/10/2023
Healthy 
Investar: A Reliable and Promising Investment Opportunity
Investar, a financial services provider, recently announced its quarterly dividend which was paid on July 31st. Shareholders who were recorded on July 3rd received a dividend of $0.10 per share. This amounts to an annualized dividend of $0.40 and a yield of 3.33%. It is worth noting that this represents a positive change from Investar’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.10. The ex-dividend date was June 30th and currently, Investar has a dividend payout ratio (DPR) of 15.04%.
On Tuesday, Investar stock opened at $12.00 and the company boasts a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.39 along with quick and current ratios both standing at 0.96 respectively. In terms of its performance in the market, the company experienced a low of $10.71 and a high of $22.48 over the past year. With a market capitalization of approximately $117.96 million, Investar operates with a price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 4.51 accompanied by beta value of 0.52.
Investar’s most recent earnings results were published on July 20th where it reported earnings per share (EPS) of $0.67 for the quarter, surpassing analysts’ consensus estimates by $0.30 with an EPS estimate of $0.37.This resulted in revenue totaling $20.46 million for the quarter which fell short compared to analyst predictions that forecasted revenue at around $21.11 million.
Furthermore, Investar achieved a net margin of 20.59% during this period and managed to secure a return on equity (ROE) figure equal to 11.69%. Industry experts predict that the company will post earnings per share amounting to approximately 1.77 for the current fiscal year.
As investors analyze Investar’s financial position and performance, it is evident that the company has proven to be steady, holding a reliable dividend track record and surpassing earnings estimates. Despite experiencing fluctuations in its stock price over the past year, Investar maintains a strong market capitalization. With these factors in mind, investors may potentially find Investar appealing as an investment opportunity.
Discussion about this post