What: Shares of BofI Holding (AX 2.21%) are trading up by 14% after FBR & Co. analyst Bob Ramsey reiterated his buy recommendation on the company.
So what: Ramsey published a note on Monday, reiterating his buy rating and changing his price target to $33 per share from $132. The change in the price target reflects the recent 4:1 stock split.
Given some of the claims about the company's lax internal auditing standards, and its practice of issuing below-market-rate loans to insiders, no news is apparently very good news. After today's 14% jump, shares trade for just under $22.
Now what: Take price target changes with a grain of salt. Wall Street is full of conflicts, and it should be pointed out that BofI Holding has an investment banking relationship with FBR. Since February 2015, the online bank has paid the firm about $1.1 million in fees related to its at-the-market issuance of stock.
In other words, FBR has a financial interest in BofI Holding's maintaining its premium share price. That's not to say Ramsey's view isn't genuine, but rather to point out a potential conflict to consider when weighing any analyst's opinion.
