Rep. Robert E. Latta Purchases Shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Inc. (NASDAQ:FMAO)

Key Points

• Rep. Robert E. Latta disclosed buying $1,001–$15,000 of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp shares on October 20.
• The bank reported quarterly EPS of $0.84, beating the $0.80 consensus estimate; revenue of $34.81 million also topped expectations.
• Analyst views were mixed, though MarketBeat’s consensus rating was “Moderate Buy” with a $33.75 price target. The company also paid a $0.01-per-share special dividend.

Representative Robert E. Latta (Republican-Ohio) recently bought shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Inc. NASDAQ: FMAO. In a filing disclosed on November 3rd, the Representative disclosed that they had bought between $1,001 and $15,000 in Farmers & Merchants Bancorp stock on October 20th.

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Price Performance

NASDAQ:FMAO opened at $37.48 on Thursday. The firm has a market cap of $515.72 million, a PE ratio of 11.70 and a beta of 0.76. Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Inc. has a 12 month low of $22.91 and a 12 month high of $37.71. The company has a quick ratio of 0.96, a current ratio of 0.96 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.43. The company's 50-day moving average price is $35.34 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $30.20.

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp (NASDAQ:FMAO - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, October 22nd. The financial services provider reported $0.84 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.80 by $0.04. The business had revenue of $34.81 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $34.65 million. Farmers & Merchants Bancorp had a return on equity of 11.25% and a net margin of 21.30%. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Inc. will post 3.22 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a special dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, October 20th. Investors of record on Friday, October 9th were given a dividend of $0.01 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, October 9th. Farmers & Merchants Bancorp's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 30.87%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have commented on FMAO shares. Zacks Research raised shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, October 28th. Piper Sandler reaffirmed a "neutral" rating and issued a $39.00 target price (up from $36.00) on shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp in a research note on Monday, October 26th. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp from a "buy (b)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 28th. Finally, Wall Street Zen cut shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday, September 5th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Farmers & Merchants Bancorp has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $33.75.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Versant Capital Management Inc lifted its stake in 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 valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 341 shares during the period. State of Alaska Department of Revenue grew its position in shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp by 126.0% during the 3rd quarter. State of Alaska Department of Revenue now owns 956 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $32,000 after buying an additional 533 shares during the period. Legal & General Group Plc acquired a new position in shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp during the 2nd quarter worth about $40,000. GAMMA Investing LLC increased its stake in shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp by 25.9% in the 3rd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 2,436 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $84,000 after acquiring an additional 501 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Globeflex Capital L P bought a new stake in shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp in the 2nd quarter valued at about $181,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 23.96% of the company's stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at Farmers & Merchants Bancorp

In other Farmers & Merchants Bancorp news, Director Andrew J. Briggs sold 2,402 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $35.05, for a total value of $84,190.10. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 49,148 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,722,637.40. This represents a 4.66% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 17,402 shares of company stock valued at $606,340. Company insiders own 7.30% of the company's stock.

About Representative Latta

Bob Latta (Republican Party) is a member of the U.S. House, representing Ohio's 5th Congressional District. He assumed office on January 3, 2007. His current term ends on January 3, 2027. Latta (Republican Party) ran for re-election to the U.S. House to represent Ohio's 5th Congressional District. He won in the general election on November 5, 2024.

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Company Profile

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp, Inc is a bank holding company headquartered in Archbold, Ohio. Founded in 1897, the company operates through its principal subsidiary, The Farmers & Merchants State Bank, a community bank serving individuals, families, farmers and businesses.

The bank offers a range of traditional financial services, including checking and savings accounts, certificates of deposit, consumer and residential mortgage loans, commercial lending, agricultural loans and other business banking products.

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