Sapiens International Co. (SPNS) to Issue Semi-Annual Dividend of $0.28 on April 18th

Sapiens International Co. (NASDAQ:SPNS) declared a Semi-Annual dividend on Monday, March 25th, Zacks reports. Investors of record on Friday, April 5th will be given a dividend of 0.28 per share by the technology company on Thursday, April 18th. This represents a yield of 1.7%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, April 4th. This is an increase from Sapiens International’s previous Semi-Annual dividend of $0.26.

Sapiens International has raised its dividend payment by an average of 52.9% per year over the last three years. Sapiens International has a payout ratio of 16.0% meaning its dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings. Research analysts expect Sapiens International to earn $1.49 per share next year, which means the company should continue to be able to cover its $0.25 annual dividend with an expected future payout ratio of 16.8%.

Sapiens International Stock Performance

SPNS stock opened at $31.85 on Tuesday. The firm has a market cap of $1.76 billion, a PE ratio of 28.44 and a beta of 1.16. The company has a current ratio of 2.11, a quick ratio of 2.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.09. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $29.63 and a 200-day moving average price of $27.93. Sapiens International has a 1-year low of $19.91 and a 1-year high of $32.33.

Sapiens International (NASDAQ:SPNS) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, February 20th. The technology company reported $0.36 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.34 by $0.02. Sapiens International had a return on equity of 16.92% and a net margin of 12.14%. The business had revenue of $130.86 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $130.85 million. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $0.31 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 9.5% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Sapiens International will post 1.37 earnings per share for the current year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Sapiens International

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Bank of New York Mellon Corp grew its position in Sapiens International by 0.6% in the 1st quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 80,168 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $2,036,000 after purchasing an additional 485 shares during the period. Rhumbline Advisers grew its holdings in shares of Sapiens International by 2.7% during the first quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 29,814 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $757,000 after buying an additional 796 shares during the last quarter. Westwood Holdings Group Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Sapiens International during the first quarter worth about $228,000. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP raised its holdings in shares of Sapiens International by 9.0% in the 1st quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 528,509 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $13,419,000 after acquiring an additional 43,672 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its position in Sapiens International by 1.7% in the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 993,460 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $25,224,000 after acquiring an additional 16,306 shares in the last quarter. 30.73% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their target price on shares of Sapiens International from $34.00 to $38.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 21st. Barclays lifted their price target on shares of Sapiens International from $28.00 to $30.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 21st. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Sapiens International currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $34.33.

Sapiens International Company Profile

Sapiens International Corporation N.V. provides software solutions for the insurance industry in North America, the United Kingdom, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Asia Pacific, and internationally. The company provides various solutions for property and casualty commercial and personal lines, life and pensions, and reinsurance fields.