First Bancshares (NASDAQ:FBMS) Research Coverage Started at StockNews.com

StockNews.com assumed coverage on shares of First Bancshares (NASDAQ:FBMS) in a report issued on Saturday morning. The firm issued a sell rating on the bank’s stock.

Separately, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods increased their price target on shares of First Bancshares from $40.00 to $45.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 4th.

First Bancshares Price Performance

Shares of First Bancshares stock opened at $33.81 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.06 billion, a PE ratio of 13.86 and a beta of 0.92. The company has a current ratio of 0.84, a quick ratio of 0.84 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33. First Bancshares has a 12 month low of $22.96 and a 12 month high of $39.21. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $36.02 and its 200-day moving average price is $35.06.

First Bancshares Announces Dividend

The business 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. The ex-dividend date was Monday, February 10th. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.96%. First Bancshares’s dividend payout ratio is currently 40.98%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On First Bancshares

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Mascagni Wealth Management Inc. bought a new stake in First Bancshares in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $562,000. CSS LLC IL increased its stake in shares of First Bancshares by 293.9% in the fourth quarter. CSS LLC IL now owns 32,665 shares of the bank’s stock worth $1,143,000 after buying an additional 24,372 shares during the period. Squarepoint Ops LLC bought a new stake in First Bancshares during the 4th quarter valued at $1,279,000. Sagefield Capital LP boosted its position in First Bancshares by 7.4% during the 4th quarter. Sagefield Capital LP now owns 54,425 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $1,905,000 after buying an additional 3,729 shares during the period. Finally, ProShare Advisors LLC bought a new stake in First Bancshares in the 4th quarter worth $300,000. 69.95% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.