Bread Financial (NYSE:BFH) Stock Rating Raised to “Buy” at Wall Street Zen

Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Bread Financial (NYSE:BFH) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report released on Sunday morning,Wall Street Zen reports.

A number of other brokerages also recently commented on BFH. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of Bread Financial in a research report on Wednesday, June 10th. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their target price on Bread Financial from $94.00 to $108.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 7th. Royal Bank Of Canada reissued a “sector perform” rating and issued a $115.00 price target on shares of Bread Financial in a research note on Friday, July 24th. Evercore restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $116.00 price target on shares of Bread Financial in a report on Monday, July 6th. Finally, Zacks Research upgraded Bread Financial from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Monday, August 31st. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have assigned a Buy rating, six have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $112.29.

Bread Financial Stock Up 0.2%

Shares of NYSE BFH opened at $103.06 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $3.96 billion, a P/E ratio of 8.04, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.64 and a beta of 1.10. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.25, a quick ratio of 1.17 and a current ratio of 1.17. Bread Financial has a 1 year low of $53.83 and a 1 year high of $114.53. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $107.16 and its 200 day moving average price is $94.97.

Bread Financial (NYSE:BFH) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 23rd. The company reported $3.55 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.74 by $0.81. Bread Financial had a return on equity of 18.42% and a net margin of 11.95%.The company had revenue of $993.00 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $959.32 million. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $3.15 EPS. Bread Financial’s revenue was up 6.9% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Bread Financial will post 12.22 earnings per share for the current year.

Bread Financial Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 15th. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 31st were issued a dividend of $0.23 per share. This represents a $0.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.9%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, August 31st. Bread Financial’s dividend payout ratio is presently 7.18%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Bread Financial

In related news, Director Praniti Lakhwara sold 2,802 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, July 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $106.12, for a total value of $297,348.24. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 4,458 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $473,082.96. This trade represents a 38.60% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Company insiders own 1.30% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Bread Financial

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. purchased a new position in shares of Bread Financial in the 2nd quarter worth about $30,000. IFP Advisors Inc grew its holdings in shares of Bread Financial by 125.8% during the 2nd quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 490 shares of the company’s stock worth $53,000 after purchasing an additional 273 shares during the period. Pacer Advisors Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Bread Financial by 58.7% during the 1st quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc. now owns 614 shares of the company’s stock worth $46,000 after purchasing an additional 227 shares during the period. Allworth Financial LP purchased a new stake in shares of Bread Financial during the 2nd quarter worth about $74,000. Finally, Group One Trading LLC acquired a new stake in Bread Financial during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $102,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 99.52% of the company’s stock.

About Bread Financial

Bread Financial Corporation (NYSE: BFH) is a financial services company that provides payment, lending and savings solutions for consumers and businesses. Its offerings include private-label and co-branded credit cards, installment loans, buy now, pay later financing and direct-to-consumer savings products.

The company works with retailers and brands to design and manage customized credit programs, including account servicing, underwriting, transaction processing and customer engagement services.