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

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Inc. (NASDAQ:FMAO) Director Andrew Briggs sold 3,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, June 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $30.09, for a total transaction of $90,270.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 153,550 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,620,319.50. This represents a 1.92% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link.

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Stock Performance

Shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp stock opened at $30.67 on Friday. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $28.08 and its 200 day simple moving average is $26.88. The company has a current ratio of 0.98, a quick ratio of 0.98 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.58. The company has a market capitalization of $422.33 million, a PE ratio of 11.75 and a beta of 0.81. Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Inc. has a 12 month low of $22.77 and a 12 month high of $32.00.

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

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, July 20th. Investors of record on Friday, July 10th will be given a $0.23 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, July 10th. This represents a $0.92 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.0%. Farmers & Merchants Bancorp’s payout ratio is currently 35.25%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Farmers & Merchants Bancorp

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Jane Street Group LLC bought a new stake in Farmers & Merchants Bancorp in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $380,000. Franklin Resources Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp in the second quarter valued at approximately $210,000. Bridgeway Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp by 2.1% in the second quarter. Bridgeway Capital Management LLC now owns 19,257 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $487,000 after purchasing an additional 401 shares during the last quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets lifted its position in shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp by 36.0% in the second quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 1,924 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $49,000 after purchasing an additional 509 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Tower Research Capital LLC TRC lifted its position in shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp by 948.7% in the second quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 4,436 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $112,000 after purchasing an additional 4,013 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 23.96% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages have commented on FMAO. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a report on Thursday, June 18th. Hovde Group reduced 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. Finally, Piper Sandler reissued a “neutral” rating and set a $32.00 price objective (up from $28.50) on shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp in a research report on Thursday, June 25th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Farmers & Merchants Bancorp has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $30.25.

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.