Short Interest in BCB Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ:BCBP) Expands By 9.8%

BCB Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ:BCBP) saw a large increase in short interest during the month of December. As of December 31st, there was short interest totalling 81,900 shares, an increase of 9.8% from the December 15th total of 74,600 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 43,900 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 1.9 days. Currently, 0.6% of the shares of the company are sold short.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lifted their price target on BCB Bancorp from $13.25 to $13.50 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 22nd.

Insider Transactions at BCB Bancorp

In other news, COO Ryan Blake sold 8,677 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, December 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $13.06, for a total transaction of $113,321.62. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief operating officer now owns 39,362 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $514,067.72. The trade was a 18.06 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders own 28.70% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On BCB Bancorp

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. AQR Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of BCB Bancorp in the second quarter worth approximately $334,000. CWM LLC raised its stake in BCB Bancorp by 105.3% during the 3rd quarter. CWM LLC now owns 5,116 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $63,000 after purchasing an additional 2,624 shares during the period. Empowered Funds LLC grew its holdings in shares of BCB Bancorp by 5.2% during the third quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 73,121 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $902,000 after buying an additional 3,618 shares in the last quarter. Segall Bryant & Hamill LLC acquired a new position in BCB Bancorp during the third quarter valued at $1,450,000. Finally, Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. purchased a new stake in BCB Bancorp in the 3rd quarter worth about $356,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 36.00% of the company’s stock.

BCB Bancorp Price Performance

NASDAQ:BCBP traded down $0.02 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $11.61. 40,095 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 47,214. The company has a current ratio of 1.23, a quick ratio of 1.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.79. The company has a market capitalization of $197.95 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.92 and a beta of 0.61. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $12.40 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $12.14. BCB Bancorp has a one year low of $9.19 and a one year high of $14.04.

BCB Bancorp (NASDAQ:BCBP) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Friday, October 18th. The bank reported $0.36 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.32 by $0.04. BCB Bancorp had a net margin of 10.59% and a return on equity of 7.31%. The company had revenue of $51.75 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $25.29 million. Sell-side analysts predict that BCB Bancorp will post 1.27 EPS for the current year.

BCB Bancorp Company Profile

BCB Bancorp, Inc operates as a bank holding company for BCB Community Bank that engages in the provision of banking products and services to businesses and individuals in the United States. The company offers insured deposit products, including savings and club accounts, interest and non-interest-bearing demand accounts, money market accounts, certificates of deposit, and individual retirement accounts.