Farmers & Merchants Bancorp (NASDAQ:FMAO) Downgraded by Wall Street Zen to Hold

Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp (NASDAQ:FMAO) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report report published on Saturday,Wall Street Zen reports.

A number of other analysts also recently commented on FMAO. Zacks Research upgraded Farmers & Merchants Bancorp from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. Weiss Ratings upgraded Farmers & Merchants Bancorp from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a report on Thursday, June 18th. Finally, Piper Sandler reissued a “neutral” rating and set a $36.00 price target (up from $32.00) on shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, one has given a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $32.25.

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:FMAO opened at $35.27 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $485.67 million, a P/E ratio of 12.12 and a beta of 0.80. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $32.75 and a 200-day simple moving average of $29.01. Farmers & Merchants Bancorp has a 52 week low of $22.77 and a 52 week high of $35.94. The company has a quick ratio of 0.96, a current ratio of 0.96 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.44.

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp (NASDAQ:FMAO) last released its earnings results on Monday, July 27th. The financial services provider reported $0.86 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.67 by $0.19. Farmers & Merchants Bancorp had a return on equity of 10.72% and a net margin of 20.27%.The firm had revenue of $34.35 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $33.05 million. Equities research analysts forecast that Farmers & Merchants Bancorp will post 3.05 EPS for the current year.

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, July 20th. Shareholders of record on Friday, July 10th were issued a $0.23 dividend. This represents a $0.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.6%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, July 10th. Farmers & Merchants Bancorp’s dividend payout ratio is currently 31.62%.

Insider Activity at Farmers & Merchants Bancorp

In related news, Director Andrew Briggs sold 2,402 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $35.05, for a total transaction of $84,190.10. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 49,148 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,722,637.40. This trade represents a 4.66% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP David R. Gerken sold 1,000 shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $33.72, for a total transaction of $33,720.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 6,509 shares in the company, valued at $219,483.48. This trade represents a 13.32% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 76,227 shares of company stock valued at $2,387,122 in the last ninety days. 7.30% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Versant Capital Management Inc lifted its stake in shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp by 72.2% in the second quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 813 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 341 shares in the last quarter. Royal Bank of Canada grew its stake in Farmers & Merchants Bancorp by 124.6% during the 4th quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 1,159 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 643 shares in the last quarter. CANADA LIFE ASSURANCE Co purchased a new stake in Farmers & Merchants Bancorp during the 4th quarter worth approximately $34,000. Legal & General Group Plc purchased a new stake in Farmers & Merchants Bancorp during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $40,000. Finally, BNP Paribas Financial Markets raised its position in shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp by 36.0% in 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 in the last quarter. 23.96% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Farmers & Merchants Bancorp

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.