Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Inc. (NASDAQ:FMAO) Sees Large Decline in Short Interest

Key Points

• Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Inc. experienced a 19.7% decrease in short interest in August, with a total of 82,000 shares short sold.
• Institutional investors have increased their holdings in Farmers & Merchants Bancorp, with Tower Research Capital's investment up by 948.7% in the second quarter alone.
• Shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp rose 2.8% to $26.52, with a current P/E ratio of 12.28 and a annual dividend yield of 3.3%.

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Inc. (NASDAQ:FMAO - Get Free Report) was the recipient of a large decline in short interest during the month of August. As of August 31st, there was short interest totaling 82,000 shares, a decline of 19.7% from the August 15th total of 102,100 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 22,400 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 3.7 days. Currently, 0.6% of the shares of the stock are short sold. Currently, 0.6% of the shares of the stock are short sold. Based on an average daily volume of 22,400 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 3.7 days.

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Trading Down 1.0%

Shares of NASDAQ:FMAO traded down $0.27 during trading on Monday, reaching $25.82. 30,662 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 18,302. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54, a quick ratio of 0.96 and a current ratio of 0.96. Farmers & Merchants Bancorp has a 12-month low of $20.88 and a 12-month high of $34.15. The firm has a market cap of $354.25 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.08 and a beta of 0.90. The firm's 50-day moving average price is $25.65 and its 200 day moving average price is $24.73.

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp (NASDAQ:FMAO - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Monday, July 28th. The financial services provider reported $0.56 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.51 by $0.05. The business had revenue of $29.65 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $28.67 million. Farmers & Merchants Bancorp had a return on equity of 8.66% and a net margin of 16.04%. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Farmers & Merchants Bancorp will post 1.82 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Sunday, July 20th. Shareholders of record on Monday, July 7th were given a $0.2213 dividend. This represents a $0.89 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, July 7th. Farmers & Merchants Bancorp's dividend payout ratio is presently 40.74%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Farmers & Merchants Bancorp

A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. BNP Paribas Financial Markets raised its position in shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp by 36.0% during the 2nd quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 1,924 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $49,000 after acquiring an additional 509 shares in the last quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC raised its position in shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp by 948.7% during the 2nd quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 4,436 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $112,000 after acquiring an additional 4,013 shares in the last quarter. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $153,000. Trust Co. of Toledo NA OH acquired a new stake in shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $201,000. Finally, Franklin Resources Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $210,000. 23.96% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Farmers & Merchants Bancorp

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp, Inc is a bank holding company, which engages in the provision of commercial banking, retail banking, and financial services. It includes commercial, agricultural, and residential mortgages as well as consumer and credit card lending activities. The firm also offers checking account services, and savings and time deposit services.