IBERIABANK Corporation (IBKC): Are Hedge Funds Right About This Stock?: EverBank Financial Corp (EVER), F.N.B. Corp (FNB)

IBERIABANK Corporation (NASDAQ:IBKC) shareholders have witnessed an increase in support from the world’s most elite money managers recently.

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With these “truths” under our belt, we’re going to take a peek at the key action encompassing IBERIABANK Corporation (NASDAQ:IBKC).

What does the smart money think about IBERIABANK Corporation (NASDAQ:IBKC)?

Heading into 2013, a total of 5 of the hedge funds we track held long positions in this stock, a change of 25% from the previous quarter. With the smart money’s sentiment swirling, there exists a select group of notable hedge fund managers who were upping their stakes substantially.

Of the funds we track, Ken Griffin’s Citadel Investment Group had the biggest position in IBERIABANK Corporation (NASDAQ:IBKC), worth close to $26.9 million, comprising less than 0.1%% of its total 13F portfolio. On Citadel Investment Group’s heels is Jeffrey Vinik of Vinik Asset Management, with a $7.2 million position; 0.2% of its 13F portfolio is allocated to the stock. Some other hedgies that are bullish include Eric D. Hovde’s Hovde Capital, Mike Vranos’s Ellington and Steven Cohen’s SAC Capital Advisors.

Now, specific money managers were breaking ground themselves. Vinik Asset Management, managed by Jeffrey Vinik, initiated the largest position in IBERIABANK Corporation (NASDAQ:IBKC). Vinik Asset Management had 7.2 million invested in the company at the end of the quarter. Mike Vranos’s Ellington also made a $0.4 million investment in the stock during the quarter. The only other fund with a brand new IBKC position is Steven Cohen’s SAC Capital Advisors.

How have insiders been trading IBERIABANK Corporation (NASDAQ:IBKC)?

Insider buying is at its handiest when the primary stock in question has experienced transactions within the past half-year. Over the latest 180-day time period, IBERIABANK Corporation (NASDAQ:IBKC) has experienced zero unique insiders buying, and 5 insider sales (see the details of insider trades here).

Let’s also review hedge fund and insider activity in other stocks similar to IBERIABANK Corporation (NASDAQ:IBKC). These stocks are EverBank Financial Corp (NYSE:EVER), F.N.B. Corp (NYSE:FNB), Trustmark Corp (NASDAQ:TRMK), Bank Of The Ozarks Inc (NASDAQ:OZRK), and BancorpSouth, Inc. (NYSE:BXS). This group of stocks are in the regional – southeast banks industry and their market caps are similar to IBKC’s market cap.

With the returns exhibited by Insider Monkey’s studies, everyday investors must always watch hedge fund and insider trading activity, and IBERIABANK Corporation (NASDAQ:IBKC) is an important part of this process.

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