Sterling Capital Management LLC Raises Position in The First Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:FBMS)

Sterling Capital Management LLC increased its position in shares of The First Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:FBMS) by 864.4% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 974 shares of the bank’s stock after purchasing an additional 873 shares during the period. Sterling Capital Management LLC’s holdings in First Bancshares were worth $34,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in FBMS. Vestcor Inc acquired a new position in First Bancshares during the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. Meeder Asset Management Inc. acquired a new position in First Bancshares during the fourth quarter worth $29,000. KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS purchased a new position in First Bancshares in the fourth quarter worth $182,000. Raymond James Financial Inc. acquired a new stake in First Bancshares in the fourth quarter valued at $307,000. Finally, Chicago Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of First Bancshares during the 4th quarter worth $352,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 69.95% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Separately, StockNews.com initiated coverage on shares of First Bancshares in a research note on Tuesday. They issued a “hold” rating for the company.

First Bancshares Trading Up 0.3 %

Shares of FBMS stock opened at $33.75 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $1.05 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.83 and a beta of 0.92. The company has a quick ratio of 0.84, a current ratio of 0.84 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33. The First Bancshares, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $23.60 and a fifty-two week high of $39.21. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $34.49 and a 200-day simple moving average of $35.24.

First Bancshares Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, February 26th. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 10th were given a dividend of $0.25 per share. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.96%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, February 10th. First Bancshares’s payout ratio is currently 40.98%.

First Bancshares Profile

The First Bancshares, Inc operates as the bank holding company for The First Bank that provides general commercial and retail banking services. The company operates through three segments: Commercial/Retail Bank, Mortgage Banking Division, and Holding Company. It offers deposit services, including checking, NOW, and savings accounts; other time deposits, such as daily money market accounts and longer-term certificates of deposit; and individual retirement and health savings accounts.