<div id="readability-page-1"><p>Lakeland Financial (NASDAQ:LKFN - Get Free Report) announced its quarterly earnings data on Monday. The financial services provider reported $1.07 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.05 by $0.02, FiscalAI reports. The firm had revenue of $69.80 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $69.45 million. Lakeland Financial had a return on equity of 13.77% and a net margin of 23.23%.</p><div><p><span></span><span>Get <strong>Lakeland Financial</strong> alerts:</span></p></div><h2>Lakeland Financial Price Performance</h2><p>Shares of Lakeland Financial stock opened at $58.83 on Monday. The company's 50 day moving average price is $58.52 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $61.60. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.50 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.52 and a beta of 0.73. Lakeland Financial has a fifty-two week low of $50.00 and a fifty-two week high of $71.76. </p><h2>Lakeland Financial Increases Dividend</h2><p>The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, February 5th. Investors of record on Sunday, January 25th will be given a dividend of $0.52 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, January 23rd. This represents a $2.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.5%. This is a positive change from Lakeland Financial's previous quarterly dividend of $0.50. Lakeland Financial's dividend payout ratio  is currently 54.88%. </p><h2>Institutional Investors Weigh In On Lakeland Financial</h2><p>Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of LKFN. First Trust Advisors LP raised its position in  Lakeland Financial by 403.6% in the second quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 383,525 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $23,568,000 after purchasing an additional 307,371 shares during the last quarter.  Millennium Management LLC boosted its position in  Lakeland Financial by 327.9% during the 1st quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 199,323 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $11,848,000 after buying an additional 152,738 shares during the period.  Bank of America Corp DE increased its position in  Lakeland Financial by 68.8% in the 3rd quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 321,031 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $20,610,000 after acquiring an additional 130,897 shares during the period.  Jane Street Group LLC bought a new position in shares of  Lakeland Financial during the first quarter valued at $6,500,000.  Finally, AQR Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in  Lakeland Financial by 195.2% during the 2nd quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 95,740 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $5,883,000 after purchasing an additional 63,313 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own  81.15% of the company's stock. </p><h2>Wall Street Analyst Weigh In</h2><p>LKFN has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Keefe, Bruyette &amp; Woods reduced their target price on Lakeland Financial from $68.00 to $66.00 and set a &#34;market perform&#34; rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, October 28th. Weiss Ratings  reaffirmed a &#34;hold (c)&#34; rating on shares of Lakeland Financial in a research report on Thursday. Raymond James Financial  reiterated an &#34;outperform&#34; rating and set a $68.00 price objective (down previously from $74.00) on shares of Lakeland Financial in a report on Tuesday, October 28th. Finally, Hovde Group cut Lakeland Financial from an &#34;outperform&#34; rating to a &#34;market perform&#34; rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 7th. One equities research analyst  has rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have issued  a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of &#34;Hold&#34; and a consensus price target of $68.67.</p><p><b>Check Out Our Latest Research Report on Lakeland Financial</b></p><h2>Lakeland Financial Company Profile</h2> (Get Free Report)<p>Lakeland Financial Corporation is a bank holding company based in Warsaw, Indiana, that operates through its principal subsidiary, Lakeland Bank. The company offers a full range of commercial and consumer banking services, including deposit products such as checking accounts, savings accounts and certificates of deposit, as well as a variety of loan offerings spanning commercial real estate, agricultural, mortgage, consumer and small-business lending.  </p><p>Originally organized in 1893 as Kosciusko County State Bank, the enterprise reorganized as a bank holding company in 1984 to facilitate strategic growth and diversification.</p><h2>Featured Stories</h2><ul><li>Five stocks we like better than Lakeland Financial</li><li>Buy This Stock at 9:30 AM on MONDAY!</li><li>What Expenses Can Be Deducted From Capital Gains Tax?</li><li>Trump Planning to Use Public Law 63-43: Prepare Now</li><li>A U.S. “birthright” claim worth trillions - activated quietly</li><li>This stock gets a 94 out of 100</li></ul><p><img src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://www.marketbeat.com/scripts/EarningsChart.ashx/query-UHJlZml4PU5BU0RBUSZTeW1ib2w9TEtGTg?x-oss-process=image/auto-orient,1/interlace,1/resize,w_1440,h_1440/quality,q_95/format,jpg" width="650" height="325" original-src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://www.marketbeat.com/scripts/EarningsChart.ashx/query-UHJlZml4PU5BU0RBUSZTeW1ib2w9TEtGTg"/></p><p><em>This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.</em></p><h2>Should You Invest $1,000 in Lakeland Financial Right Now?</h2><p>Before you consider Lakeland Financial, you'll want to hear this.</p><p>MarketBeat keeps track of Wall Street's top-rated and best performing research analysts and the stocks they recommend to their clients on a daily basis. MarketBeat has identified the five stocks that top analysts are quietly whispering to their clients to buy now before the broader market catches on... and Lakeland Financial wasn't on the list.</p><p>While Lakeland Financial currently has a Hold rating among analysts, top-rated analysts believe these five stocks are better buys.</p><p>View The Five Stocks Here</p>                  </div>

LKFN

<p>Lakeland Financial (NASDAQ:LKFN) reported quarterly earnings of $1.07 EPS, surpassing estimates of $1.05 by $0.02. The firm generated revenue of $69.80 million, exceeding expectations of $69.45 million. The company also announced a quarterly dividend of $0.52 per share, up from $0.50, with a yield of 3.5%. Institutional investors hold 81.15% of the stock. Analysts have mixed ratings, with one Buy and three Hold ratings, and a consensus price target of $68.67.</p>

Lakeland Financial (NASDAQ:LKFN) Issues Quarterly Earnings Results, Beats Estimates By $0.02 EPS