Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Inc. (NASDAQ:FMAO) Short Interest Up 19.7% in March

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Inc. (NASDAQ:FMAO) was the target of a large increase in short interest in the month of March. As of March 31st, there was short interest totaling 136,546 shares, an increase of 19.7% from the March 15th total of 114,091 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 51,054 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 2.7 days. Currently, 1.0% of the company’s stock are short sold.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts recently issued reports on FMAO shares. Piper Sandler started coverage on shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp in a research report on Thursday, April 2nd. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $28.00 price target for the company. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Monday, April 6th. Finally, Zacks Research downgraded shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, December 30th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Farmers & Merchants Bancorp currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $28.00.

Insider Transactions at Farmers & Merchants Bancorp

In related news, insider Eric D. Faust sold 1,148 shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp stock in a transaction on Monday, March 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $25.16, for a total value of $28,883.68. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 5,538 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $139,336.08. This trade represents a 17.17% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders own 7.30% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Farmers & Merchants Bancorp

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Ancora Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Farmers & Merchants Bancorp during the third quarter worth $921,000. Royal Bank of Canada grew its holdings in Farmers & Merchants Bancorp by 124.6% during the fourth quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 1,159 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $28,000 after buying an additional 643 shares in the last quarter. CANADA LIFE ASSURANCE Co bought a new stake in Farmers & Merchants Bancorp during the fourth quarter worth $34,000. BNP Paribas Financial Markets grew its holdings in Farmers & Merchants Bancorp by 36.0% during the second quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 1,924 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $49,000 after buying an additional 509 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Farther Finance Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Farmers & Merchants Bancorp by 126.2% during the third quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 2,185 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $55,000 after buying an additional 1,219 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 23.96% of the company’s stock.

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Stock Up 2.2%

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp stock traded up $0.59 during trading on Friday, hitting $27.37. 54,188 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 45,208. The business’s 50 day moving average is $26.32 and its 200 day moving average is $25.60. Farmers & Merchants Bancorp has a 52 week low of $22.19 and a 52 week high of $29.83. The company has a market capitalization of $398.51 million, a P/E ratio of 11.31 and a beta of 0.81. The company has a current ratio of 1.00, a quick ratio of 1.00 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71.

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp (NASDAQ:FMAO) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 12th. The financial services provider reported $0.71 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.67 by $0.04. Farmers & Merchants Bancorp had a return on equity of 9.33% and a net margin of 17.47%.The business had revenue of $32.45 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $27.30 million. Analysts predict that Farmers & Merchants Bancorp will post 1.82 earnings per share for the current year.

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, April 20th. Investors of record on Friday, April 3rd will be issued a dividend of $0.23 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, April 2nd. This represents a $0.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.4%. Farmers & Merchants Bancorp’s dividend payout ratio is 38.02%.

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Company Profile

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp (NASDAQ:FMAO) is the bank holding company for Farmers & Merchants Bank of Central California, a community-focused institution headquartered in Los Banos, California. The bank traces its roots to 1916 and has grown to serve individuals, businesses and agricultural enterprises throughout the western San Joaquin Valley. Operating with a commitment to local decision-making, the company emphasizes personalized service and close ties to the communities in which it operates.

Through its banking subsidiary, Farmers & Merchants offers a comprehensive suite of financial products and services, including checking and savings accounts, certificates of deposit, online and mobile banking platforms, and merchant services.