Farmers & Merchants Bancorp (NASDAQ:FMAO) Director Sells $102,240.00 in Stock

Key Points

• Director Andrew Briggs sold 3,000 FMAO shares at an average price of $34.08, generating $102,240 and reducing his ownership by 4.14% to 69,550 shares.
• Farmers & Merchants Bancorp reported quarterly EPS of $0.86, beating estimates of $0.67, while revenue of $34.35 million also exceeded expectations. The stock closed at $34.92, near its 12-month high of $35.94.
• The company paid a quarterly dividend of $0.23 per share, equivalent to a $0.92 annualized dividend and a 2.6% yield. Analysts’ consensus rating is “Moderate Buy”, with an average price target of $32.25.

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Inc. (NASDAQ:FMAO - Get Free Report) Director Andrew Briggs sold 3,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, August 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $34.08, for a total transaction of $102,240.00. Following the sale, the director directly owned 69,550 shares in the company, valued at $2,370,264. This trade represents a 4.14% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link.

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Stock Performance

FMAO traded up $0.64 on Friday, reaching $34.92. The stock had a trading volume of 341,424 shares, compared to its average volume of 67,440. The business's 50-day moving average price is $30.28 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $27.93. The company has a market cap of $480.85 million, a P/E ratio of 12.00 and a beta of 0.80. Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Inc. has a 12-month low of $22.77 and a 12-month high of $35.94. The company has a current ratio of 0.96, a quick ratio of 0.96 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.44.

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp (NASDAQ:FMAO - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Monday, July 27th. The financial services provider reported $0.86 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.67 by $0.19. Farmers & Merchants Bancorp had a return on equity of 10.72% and a net margin of 20.27%.The firm had revenue of $34.35 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $33.05 million. Sell-side analysts forecast that Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Inc. will post 3.05 earnings per share for the current year.

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, July 20th. Shareholders of record on Friday, July 10th were issued a $0.23 dividend. This represents a $0.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, July 10th. Farmers & Merchants Bancorp's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 31.62%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have recently issued reports on FMAO shares. Piper Sandler reiterated a "neutral" rating and set a $36.00 target price (up from $32.00) on shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Saturday, August 1st. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "buy (b)" rating in a report on Thursday, June 18th. Hovde Group dropped their target price on shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp from $30.00 to $28.50 and set a "market perform" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, April 24th. Finally, Zacks Research raised Farmers & Merchants Bancorp from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 29th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, one has assigned a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $32.25.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Farmers & Merchants Bancorp

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Versant Capital Management Inc lifted its position in Farmers & Merchants Bancorp by 72.2% during the second quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 813 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $25,000 after buying an additional 341 shares in the last quarter. Royal Bank of Canada grew its holdings in Farmers & Merchants Bancorp by 124.6% in the 4th quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 1,159 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $28,000 after buying an additional 643 shares in the last quarter. CANADA LIFE ASSURANCE Co acquired a new stake in shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp in the 4th quarter worth $34,000. BNP Paribas Financial Markets increased its stake in shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp by 36.0% in the 2nd quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 1,924 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $49,000 after acquiring an additional 509 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Tower Research Capital LLC TRC raised its holdings 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 worth $112,000 after acquiring an additional 4,013 shares during the period. 23.96% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Farmers & Merchants Bancorp

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.

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