Hedge Funds Are Betting On Southside Bancshares, Inc. (SBSI)

Southside Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:SBSI) was in 6 hedge funds’ portfolio at the end of March. SBSI investors should be aware of an increase in hedge fund sentiment of late. There were 5 hedge funds in our database with SBSI positions at the end of the previous quarter.

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Now, it’s important to take a gander at the key action surrounding Southside Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:SBSI).

How are hedge funds trading Southside Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:SBSI)?

In preparation for this quarter, a total of 6 of the hedge funds we track were long in this stock, a change of 20% from one quarter earlier. With the smart money’s sentiment swirling, there exists a few noteworthy hedge fund managers who were increasing their holdings meaningfully.

Southside Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:SBSI)When looking at the hedgies we track, Renaissance Technologies, managed by Jim Simons, holds the largest position in Southside Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:SBSI). Renaissance Technologies has a $2.8 million position in the stock, comprising less than 0.1%% of its 13F portfolio. Sitting at the No. 2 spot is Hutchin Hill Capital, managed by Neil Chriss, which held a $1.2 million position; 0.1% of its 13F portfolio is allocated to the company. Remaining hedgies that are bullish include Israel Englander’s Millennium Management, John Overdeck and David Siegel’s Two Sigma Advisors and D. E. Shaw’s D E Shaw.

Now, key hedge funds were breaking ground themselves. D E Shaw, managed by D. E. Shaw, assembled the largest position in Southside Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:SBSI). D E Shaw had 0.5 million invested in the company at the end of the quarter.

How are insiders trading Southside Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:SBSI)?

Insider trading activity, especially when it’s bullish, is best served when the company in question has experienced transactions within the past 180 days. Over the latest six-month time frame, Southside Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:SBSI) has experienced 4 unique insiders buying, and 2 insider sales (see the details of insider trades here).

Let’s also take a look at hedge fund and insider activity in other stocks similar to Southside Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:SBSI). These stocks are TowneBank (NASDAQ:TOWN), WSFS Financial Corporation (NASDAQ:WSFS), First Community Bancshares Inc (NASDAQ:FCBC), Ameris Bancorp (NASDAQ:ABCB), and Stellarone Corp (NASDAQ:STEL). All of these stocks are in the regional – mid-atlantic banks industry and their market caps match SBSI’s market cap.

Company Name # of Hedge Funds # of Insiders Buying # of Insiders Selling
TowneBank (NASDAQ:TOWN) 1 0 0
WSFS Financial Corporation (NASDAQ:WSFS) 9 0 4
First Community Bancshares Inc (NASDAQ:FCBC) 5 0 0
Ameris Bancorp (NASDAQ:ABCB) 6 1 1
Stellarone Corp (NASDAQ:STEL) 4 0 0

With the returns demonstrated by the aforementioned strategies, everyday investors should always pay attention to hedge fund and insider trading sentiment, and Southside Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:SBSI) is no exception.

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