Fourthstone LLC Purchases 41,069 Shares of Peoples Bancorp of North Carolina, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEBK)

Fourthstone LLC boosted its position in Peoples Bancorp of North Carolina, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEBK) by 203.6% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 61,243 shares of the bank’s stock after purchasing an additional 41,069 shares during the period. Fourthstone LLC owned approximately 1.12% of Peoples Bancorp of North Carolina worth $1,914,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other large investors have also modified their holdings of the business. Wells Fargo & Company MN raised its holdings in shares of Peoples Bancorp of North Carolina by 27.8% in the fourth quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN now owns 2,590 shares of the bank’s stock worth $81,000 after buying an additional 564 shares during the period. JPMorgan Chase & Co. grew its position in Peoples Bancorp of North Carolina by 15.2% in the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 4,366 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $111,000 after acquiring an additional 576 shares during the last quarter. Barclays PLC increased its stake in Peoples Bancorp of North Carolina by 390.6% in the third quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 7,801 shares of the bank’s stock worth $198,000 after purchasing an additional 6,211 shares during the period. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in Peoples Bancorp of North Carolina in the fourth quarter worth $296,000. Finally, American Century Companies Inc. lifted its position in shares of Peoples Bancorp of North Carolina by 3.1% during the fourth quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 23,380 shares of the bank’s stock worth $731,000 after purchasing an additional 695 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 43.83% of the company’s stock.

Peoples Bancorp of North Carolina Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:PEBK opened at $25.91 on Thursday. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $27.29 and its 200-day simple moving average is $28.34. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11, a quick ratio of 0.81 and a current ratio of 0.81. Peoples Bancorp of North Carolina, Inc. has a one year low of $23.74 and a one year high of $33.31. The firm has a market cap of $141.44 million, a PE ratio of 8.69 and a beta of 0.44.

Peoples Bancorp of North Carolina (NASDAQ:PEBK) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 12th. The bank reported $0.65 EPS for the quarter. Peoples Bancorp of North Carolina had a return on equity of 12.85% and a net margin of 15.08%.

Peoples Bancorp of North Carolina Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 14th. Investors of record on Monday, March 3rd were issued a $0.20 dividend. This is an increase from Peoples Bancorp of North Carolina’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.19. This represents a $0.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.09%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 3rd. Peoples Bancorp of North Carolina’s payout ratio is presently 26.85%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, StockNews.com downgraded shares of Peoples Bancorp of North Carolina from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, March 29th.

Peoples Bancorp of North Carolina Profile

Peoples Bancorp of North Carolina, Inc operates as the bank holding company for Peoples Bank that provides various banking products and services for individuals and small-to medium-sized businesses. It offers checking, savings, money market, and retirement accounts; certificates of deposits; and credit and debit cards.