Farmers & Merchants Bancorp (NASDAQ:FMAO) Director Andrew Briggs Sells 3,000 Shares

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Inc. (NASDAQ:FMAO) Director Andrew Briggs sold 3,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $26.44, for a total transaction of $79,320.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 240,085 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,347,847.40. The trade was a 1.23% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink.

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Stock Up 2.5%

Shares of FMAO traded up $0.68 during midday trading on Wednesday, hitting $27.85. The company had a trading volume of 17,924 shares, compared to its average volume of 50,107. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $26.23 and its 200 day moving average price is $25.99. The stock has a market cap of $383.41 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.67 and a beta of 0.82. Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Inc. has a 52 week low of $22.59 and a 52 week high of $29.83. The company has a quick ratio of 0.98, a current ratio of 0.98 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.58.

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp (NASDAQ:FMAO) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, April 22nd. The financial services provider reported $0.70 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.68 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $32.44 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $32.54 million. Farmers & Merchants Bancorp had a net margin of 18.54% and a return on equity of 9.85%. On average, equities research analysts predict that Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Inc. will post 2.83 EPS for the current year.

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, April 20th. Stockholders of record on Friday, April 3rd were given a $0.23 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, April 2nd. This represents a $0.92 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.3%. Farmers & Merchants Bancorp’s payout ratio is presently 35.25%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have recently commented on the stock. Hovde Group decreased their price target on shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp from $30.00 to $28.50 and set a “market perform” rating for the company in a report on Friday, April 24th. Piper Sandler reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and issued a $28.50 price target (up from $28.00) on shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp in a report on Monday, April 27th. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a report on Monday. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $28.50.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Royal Bank of Canada boosted its holdings in shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp by 124.6% in the 4th quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 1,159 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $28,000 after buying an additional 643 shares during the period. CANADA LIFE ASSURANCE Co acquired a new position in Farmers & Merchants Bancorp during the 4th quarter valued at about $34,000. BNP Paribas Financial Markets boosted its stake in Farmers & Merchants Bancorp by 36.0% during the 2nd quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 1,924 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $49,000 after purchasing an additional 509 shares during the period. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC boosted its stake in Farmers & Merchants Bancorp by 948.7% during the 2nd quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 4,436 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $112,000 after purchasing an additional 4,013 shares during the period. Finally, Globeflex Capital L P acquired a new position in Farmers & Merchants Bancorp during the 1st quarter valued at about $152,000. 23.96% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.