BOK Financial Co. (NASDAQ:BOKF) Short Interest Up 31.0% in March

BOK Financial Co. (NASDAQ:BOKF) was the target of a large increase in short interest during the month of March. As of March 15th, there was short interest totalling 430,800 shares, an increase of 31.0% from the February 28th total of 328,900 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 134,800 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 3.2 days. Approximately 1.7% of the company’s shares are sold short.

BOK Financial Stock Up 0.1 %

Shares of NASDAQ:BOKF traded up $0.06 during midday trading on Monday, hitting $103.70. 12,120 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 143,145. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.57, a current ratio of 0.75 and a quick ratio of 0.79. BOK Financial has a 12 month low of $85.02 and a 12 month high of $121.58. The company has a market cap of $6.66 billion, a PE ratio of 12.76 and a beta of 1.20. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $107.37 and a 200-day moving average price of $109.24.

BOK Financial (NASDAQ:BOKF) last released its quarterly earnings results on Friday, January 17th. The bank reported $2.12 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.97 by $0.15. BOK Financial had a return on equity of 9.86% and a net margin of 15.32%. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that BOK Financial will post 8.83 EPS for the current fiscal year.

BOK Financial Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, February 26th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, February 12th were issued a $0.57 dividend. This represents a $2.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.20%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, February 12th. BOK Financial’s dividend payout ratio is presently 28.04%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on BOKF shares. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods boosted their target price on shares of BOK Financial from $112.00 to $125.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a report on Wednesday, December 4th. StockNews.com cut shares of BOK Financial from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, March 17th. Stephens lowered their target price on BOK Financial from $135.00 to $127.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, January 22nd. Royal Bank of Canada upped their price target on BOK Financial from $115.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 22nd. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on BOK Financial from $105.00 to $112.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, December 3rd. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, BOK Financial presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $119.11.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of BOKF. Picton Mahoney Asset Management purchased a new stake in shares of BOK Financial during the 4th quarter valued at $30,000. True Wealth Design LLC increased its holdings in BOK Financial by 66.9% during the fourth quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 282 shares of the bank’s stock worth $30,000 after buying an additional 113 shares during the last quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC increased its holdings in BOK Financial by 33.8% during the fourth quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC now owns 396 shares of the bank’s stock worth $42,000 after buying an additional 100 shares during the last quarter. US Bancorp DE raised its position in BOK Financial by 12.5% in the fourth quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 1,088 shares of the bank’s stock worth $116,000 after acquiring an additional 121 shares during the period. Finally, Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd grew its position in shares of BOK Financial by 538.9% during the 4th quarter. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd now owns 1,182 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $126,000 after acquiring an additional 997 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 34.44% of the company’s stock.

BOK Financial Company Profile

BOK Financial Corporation operates as the financial holding company for BOKF, NA that provides various financial products and services in Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Northwest Arkansas, Colorado, Arizona, and Kansas/Missouri. It operates through three segments: Commercial Banking, Consumer Banking, and Wealth Management.