Bank of the James Financial Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:BOTJ) Shares Shorted: Short Interest Up 86.5% in October

Bank of the James Financial Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:BOTJ) saw a significant growth in short interest in the month of October. As of October 15th, there was short interest totaling 27,043 shares, a growth of 86.5% from the September 30th total of 14,501 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 41,051 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 0.7 days. Currently, 0.7% of the shares of the stock are short sold.

Bank of the James Financial Group Price Performance

NASDAQ:BOTJ traded up $0.06 during trading hours on Monday, reaching $23.82. 18,484 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 21,885. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $27.25 and its 200-day moving average is $23.98. The stock has a market cap of $108.12 million, a P/E ratio of 8.99 and a beta of 0.19. Bank of the James Financial Group has a 1-year low of $16.20 and a 1-year high of $30.84.

Bank of the James Financial Group (NASDAQ:BOTJ) last released its quarterly earnings results on Friday, October 30th. The financial services provider reported $0.73 earnings per share for the quarter. Bank of the James Financial Group had a return on equity of 14.80% and a net margin of 18.28%. The company had revenue of $13.90 million during the quarter.

Bank of the James Financial Group Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 4th. Shareholders of record on Friday, November 20th will be issued a $0.15 dividend. This is a positive change from Bank of the James Financial Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.10. The ex-dividend date is Friday, November 20th. This represents a $0.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.5%. Bank of the James Financial Group’s payout ratio is currently 15.81%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Bank of the James Financial Group

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Susquehanna International Group LLP purchased a new position in shares of Bank of the James Financial Group during the second quarter valued at approximately $895,000. Empowered Funds LLC acquired a new stake in Bank of the James Financial Group during the second quarter worth approximately $630,000. BlackRock Inc. purchased a new stake in Bank of the James Financial Group in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $618,000. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. purchased a new stake in Bank of the James Financial Group in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $46,000. Finally, Daytona Street Capital LLC raised its holdings in Bank of the James Financial Group by 12.2% in the 3rd quarter. Daytona Street Capital LLC now owns 88,722 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $2,451,000 after acquiring an additional 9,644 shares during the last quarter. 18.50% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

BOTJ has been the topic of several research reports. Wall Street Zen lowered Bank of the James Financial Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, August 15th. Weiss Ratings downgraded Bank of the James Financial Group from a “buy (a)” rating to a “buy (b+)” rating in a research note on Thursday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Buy”.

About Bank of the James Financial Group

Bank of the James Financial Group, Inc is a bank holding company headquartered in Lynchburg, Virginia. Through its principal subsidiary, Bank of the James, the company provides community banking services to individuals, businesses and organizations in Central Virginia and surrounding markets.

Bank of the James offers deposit accounts, commercial and residential real estate lending, consumer loans, business loans, mortgage services and other traditional banking products. The bank also provides treasury management and cash-management services designed to support commercial customers, along with online and mobile banking capabilities for personal and business clients.

Founded in 1999, Bank of the James has developed a regional branch network and emphasizes relationship-based banking and local decision-making.