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

Key Points

• Director Andrew Briggs sold 3,000 FMAO shares at an average price of $34.76, generating $104,280 and reducing his direct holdings by 3.82% to 75,550 shares.
• Farmers & Merchants Bancorp reported quarterly EPS of $0.86, beating the $0.67 consensus estimate, while revenue of $34.35 million also exceeded expectations. The company pays a quarterly dividend of $0.23, equivalent to a 2.7% yield.
• FMAO shares closed at $34.16, near the company’s 52-week high of $35.94. 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 Farmers & Merchants Bancorp stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $34.76, for a total value of $104,280.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 75,550 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,626,118. The trade was a 3.82% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink.

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Price Performance

Shares of FMAO stock traded down $0.61 on Wednesday, reaching $34.16. The company's stock had a trading volume of 62,669 shares, compared to its average volume of 65,405. Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Inc. has a 1 year low of $22.77 and a 1 year high of $35.94. The company has a market capitalization of $470.49 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.74 and a beta of 0.80. The stock's fifty day simple moving average is $30.15 and its 200-day simple moving average is $27.86. 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 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.67 by $0.19. Farmers & Merchants Bancorp had a net margin of 20.27% and a return on equity of 10.72%. The firm had revenue of $34.35 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $33.05 million. Analysts forecast that Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Inc. will post 3.05 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, July 20th. Stockholders of record on Friday, July 10th were paid a $0.23 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, July 10th. This represents a $0.92 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.7%. Farmers & Merchants Bancorp's dividend payout ratio is currently 31.62%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

FMAO has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Piper Sandler restated a "neutral" rating and issued a $36.00 price target (up from $32.00) on shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. Zacks Research upgraded Farmers & Merchants Bancorp from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 29th. 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. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Saturday. Finally, Hovde Group lowered their price target on shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp from $30.00 to $28.50 and set a "market perform" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, April 24th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, one has assigned a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $32.25.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Farmers & Merchants Bancorp

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of FMAO. Versant Capital Management Inc lifted its stake in Farmers & Merchants Bancorp by 72.2% in the 2nd quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 813 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 341 shares in the last quarter. Ancora Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Farmers & Merchants Bancorp in the 3rd quarter valued at about $921,000. Royal Bank of Canada lifted its holdings in Farmers & Merchants Bancorp by 124.6% in the fourth quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 1,159 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $28,000 after acquiring an additional 643 shares during the last quarter. CANADA LIFE ASSURANCE Co purchased a new position in shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp during the 4th quarter worth $34,000. Finally, BNP Paribas Financial Markets boosted its stake in Farmers & Merchants Bancorp by 36.0% during the second quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 1,924 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $49,000 after buying an additional 509 shares during the period. 23.96% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.

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