Franklin Financial Services Co. (NASDAQ:FRAF) Short Interest Update

Franklin Financial Services Co. (NASDAQ:FRAF) was the target of a large decrease in short interest in March. As of March 31st, there was short interest totalling 7,300 shares, a decrease of 7.6% from the March 15th total of 7,900 shares. Approximately 0.2% of the shares of the stock are short sold. Based on an average daily volume of 4,900 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 1.5 days.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Franklin Financial Services

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of FRAF. Farmers & Merchants Trust Co of Chambersburg PA raised its stake in shares of Franklin Financial Services by 2,181.8% in the fourth quarter. Farmers & Merchants Trust Co of Chambersburg PA now owns 41,689 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,315,000 after purchasing an additional 39,862 shares during the last quarter. BlackRock Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Franklin Financial Services by 241.0% in the third quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 37,133 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,171,000 after acquiring an additional 26,243 shares during the period. Fourthstone LLC boosted its stake in shares of Franklin Financial Services by 9.3% in the first quarter. Fourthstone LLC now owns 144,758 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,883,000 after acquiring an additional 12,291 shares during the period. Susquehanna International Group LLP bought a new position in Franklin Financial Services during the first quarter valued at approximately $334,000. Finally, Balyasny Asset Management L.P. bought a new position in Franklin Financial Services during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $309,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 24.80% of the company’s stock.

Franklin Financial Services Price Performance

FRAF traded up $0.17 during trading on Tuesday, reaching $26.14. 1,907 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 4,871. The company’s 50-day moving average is $26.37 and its two-hundred day moving average is $29.58. The company has a market cap of $114.75 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.43 and a beta of 0.42. The company has a quick ratio of 0.82, a current ratio of 0.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.98. Franklin Financial Services has a 12-month low of $23.96 and a 12-month high of $35.00.

Franklin Financial Services (NASDAQ:FRAF) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, January 30th. The company reported $0.79 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. The business had revenue of $17.99 million for the quarter. Franklin Financial Services had a return on equity of 11.10% and a net margin of 14.84%.

Franklin Financial Services Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, February 28th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, February 1st were issued a $0.32 dividend. This represents a $1.28 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.90%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, January 31st. Franklin Financial Services’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 41.29%.

About Franklin Financial Services

Franklin Financial Services Corporation operates as the bank holding company for Farmers and Merchants Trust Company of Chambersburg that provides commercial, retail banking, and trust services to businesses, individuals, governmental entities, and non-profit organizations in Pennsylvania. It offers various deposit products, including checking, savings, money management, and time deposit accounts, as well as demand deposits.