Short interest in First Savings Financial Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: FSFG) increased significantly by 30.4% in December. As of December 15, 2023, the total short interest reached 72,255 shares, up from 55,422 shares on November 30, 2023. Currently, shorted shares account for 1.2% of the company’s total shares. Given the average daily trading volume of 15,092 shares, the days-to-cover ratio stands at 4.8 days.
Analysts have shown confidence in the stock’s potential. On October 8, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (B-)” rating for First Savings Financial Group. Currently, four research analysts have issued buy ratings, contributing to a consensus rating of “Buy” along with a price target of $32.33, according to MarketBeat.
In trading on Thursday, December 14, 2023, shares of First Savings Financial Group experienced a slight decline of 0.4%, reaching $31.86. The trading volume was 9,748 shares, below the average volume of 17,764 shares. The stock has fluctuated significantly over the past year, with a low of $21.63 and a high of $33.35.
The company, headquartered in Fairfield, Iowa, reported its quarterly earnings on October 30, 2023. It posted earnings of $0.82 per share, surpassing the consensus estimate of $0.76 by $0.06. The firm achieved a return on equity of 11.51% and a net margin of 15.82%. Revenue for the quarter totaled $21.79 million, exceeding expectations of $17.21 million. Analysts forecast that First Savings Financial Group will report earnings of $2.45 per share for the current year.
Additionally, the firm disclosed a quarterly dividend of $0.16, paid on December 31, 2023, to shareholders recorded on December 15. This translates to an annualized dividend of $0.64, yielding 2.0%. The ex-dividend date was also set for December 15, 2023. Currently, the company’s dividend payout ratio is 19.34%.
First Savings Financial Group operates as a community-based financial services provider. Through its subsidiary, First Savings Bank, the company offers a range of banking and financial products tailored for individuals, small businesses, and agricultural clients. The services include checking and savings accounts, consumer and residential mortgage loans, commercial and agricultural lending, as well as treasury management solutions.
As the market dynamics continue to evolve, investors and analysts are closely monitoring First Savings Financial Group for further developments and performance indicators.
