AlphaQuest LLC Cuts Position in The First Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:FBMS)

AlphaQuest LLC trimmed its position in shares of The First Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:FBMS) by 24.6% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 14,130 shares of the bank’s stock after selling 4,616 shares during the period. AlphaQuest LLC’s holdings in First Bancshares were worth $495,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. FMR LLC increased its stake in shares of First Bancshares by 50.8% during the third quarter. FMR LLC now owns 3,194 shares of the bank’s stock worth $103,000 after buying an additional 1,076 shares during the period. Entropy Technologies LP purchased a new stake in shares of First Bancshares during the third quarter worth approximately $203,000. Verition Fund Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of First Bancshares during the third quarter worth approximately $236,000. Raymond James Financial Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of First Bancshares during the fourth quarter worth approximately $307,000. Finally, Quantbot Technologies LP purchased a new stake in shares of First Bancshares during the third quarter worth approximately $308,000. 69.95% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts recently issued reports on FBMS shares. StockNews.com started coverage on First Bancshares in a report on Thursday. They issued a “sell” rating for the company. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upped their price target on First Bancshares from $40.00 to $45.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, December 4th.

First Bancshares Stock Performance

Shares of FBMS opened at $33.35 on Thursday. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $36.04 and a 200 day moving average price of $34.88. 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 company has a market capitalization of $1.04 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.67 and a beta of 0.92. The First Bancshares, Inc. has a 52-week low of $22.96 and a 52-week high of $39.21.

First Bancshares Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, February 26th. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 10th were issued a $0.25 dividend. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.00%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, February 10th. First Bancshares’s payout ratio is currently 40.98%.

About First Bancshares

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.