EQB Inc. (TSE:EQB) Given Average Rating of “Moderate Buy” by Analysts

Shares of EQB Inc. (TSE:EQB) have earned a consensus recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the ten analysts that are presently covering the firm, MarketBeat.com reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has assigned a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 1 year price objective among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is C$102.56.

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. TD Securities upped their target price on shares of EQB from C$94.00 to C$105.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 9th. Scotiabank upped their target price on shares of EQB from C$99.00 to C$111.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 20th. National Bankshares cut shares of EQB from an “outperform” rating to a “sector perform” rating and lowered their target price for the company from C$98.00 to C$95.00 in a report on Thursday, February 29th. National Bank Financial cut shares of EQB from an “outperform market weight” rating to a “sector perform market weight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 28th. Finally, CIBC set a C$100.00 price target on shares of EQB and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, April 1st.

EQB Trading Down 0.2 %

Shares of TSE:EQB opened at C$88.80 on Friday. EQB has a 52 week low of C$57.92 and a 52 week high of C$97.64. The company’s 50 day moving average is C$86.47 and its two-hundred day moving average is C$83.14. The company has a market cap of C$3.39 billion, a PE ratio of 9.54, a P/E/G ratio of 0.34 and a beta of 1.67.

EQB (TSE:EQB) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, March 27th. The company reported C$2.70 EPS for the quarter. EQB had a net margin of 39.67% and a return on equity of 14.70%. As a group, equities research analysts expect that EQB will post 11.4900925 EPS for the current year.

EQB Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, March 28th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 15th were paid a $0.42 dividend. This represents a $1.68 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.89%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, March 14th. This is a boost from EQB’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.40. EQB’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 18.05%.

About EQB

EQB Inc, through its subsidiary, Equitable Bank, provides personal and commercial banking services to retail and commercial customers in Canada. The company accepts term deposits and guaranteed investment certificates, high interest savings accounts, institutional deposit notes and covered bonds, as well as specialized financing solutions.