Farmers National Banc Corp. (NASDAQ:FMNB) Short Interest Update

Key Points

• Short interest plunged 73.9% month‑over‑month to 767,086 shares as of March 13, equal to 2.1% of shares outstanding and a days‑to‑cover of 1.4.
• Director Edward Muransky bought 40,000 shares on March 3 at ~$12.74, increasing his stake by about 25.6%; insiders have purchased ~41,672 shares in the last three months and own 3.5% of the company.
• The bank yields 5.3% annually ($0.68) and recently missed quarterly EPS ($0.40 vs. $0.47 estimate); analysts hold a consensus "Hold" rating with an average price target of $14.50.

Farmers National Banc Corp. (NASDAQ:FMNB - Get Free Report) was the recipient of a large decline in short interest during the month of March. As of March 13th, there was short interest totaling 767,086 shares, a decline of 73.9% from the February 26th total of 2,939,211 shares. Currently, 2.1% of the company's shares are sold short. Based on an average trading volume of 535,429 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 1.4 days. Based on an average trading volume of 535,429 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 1.4 days. Currently, 2.1% of the company's shares are sold short.

Farmers National Banc Trading Up 0.6%

Farmers National Banc stock traded up $0.08 during trading hours on Wednesday, reaching $12.91. The stock had a trading volume of 97,695 shares, compared to its average volume of 444,463. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $13.12 and a 200-day simple moving average of $13.59. Farmers National Banc has a 52 week low of $11.58 and a 52 week high of $15.50. The stock has a market cap of $487.22 million, a PE ratio of 8.91 and a beta of 0.85. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18, a current ratio of 0.73 and a quick ratio of 0.73.

Farmers National Banc (NASDAQ:FMNB - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 28th. The bank reported $0.40 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.47 by ($0.07). The firm had revenue of $49.89 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $50.70 million. Farmers National Banc had a net margin of 19.50% and a return on equity of 13.03%. Analysts forecast that Farmers National Banc will post 1.45 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Farmers National Banc Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 27th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 13th were issued a $0.17 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 13th. This represents a $0.68 annualized dividend and a yield of 5.3%. Farmers National Banc's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 46.90%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Farmers National Banc

In other Farmers National Banc news, Director Edward Muransky acquired 40,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 3rd. The stock was bought at an average price of $12.74 per share, with a total value of $509,600.00. Following the purchase, the director owned 196,020 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,497,294.80. This trade represents a 25.64% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. In the last three months, insiders have purchased 41,672 shares of company stock valued at $530,974. Insiders own 3.50% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Farmers National Banc

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Hsbc Holdings PLC raised its position in shares of Farmers National Banc by 45.9% in the 4th quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC now owns 26,879 shares of the bank's stock worth $358,000 after acquiring an additional 8,461 shares in the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC boosted its position in shares of Farmers National Banc by 109.2% during the fourth quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 143,728 shares of the bank's stock valued at $1,914,000 after purchasing an additional 75,009 shares in the last quarter. Susquehanna Fundamental Investments LLC purchased a new stake in Farmers National Banc in the fourth quarter worth $439,000. Occudo Quantitative Strategies LP raised its holdings in Farmers National Banc by 54.9% in the fourth quarter. Occudo Quantitative Strategies LP now owns 17,312 shares of the bank's stock worth $231,000 after purchasing an additional 6,134 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Millennium Management LLC raised its holdings in Farmers National Banc by 231.9% in the fourth quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 263,553 shares of the bank's stock worth $3,511,000 after purchasing an additional 184,155 shares in the last quarter. 38.72% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts have issued reports on FMNB shares. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Farmers National Banc from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Saturday, March 7th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a "hold (c+)" rating on shares of Farmers National Banc in a report on Monday, December 29th. Piper Sandler dropped their target price on Farmers National Banc from $16.00 to $14.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, January 29th. Finally, Zacks Research lowered Farmers National Banc from a "hold" rating to a "strong sell" rating in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $14.50.

Farmers National Banc Company Profile

Farmers National Banc Corp. operates as the bank holding company for Farmers National Bank, a community-oriented financial institution headquartered in Ada, Ohio. The company provides a comprehensive suite of banking services through a network of branches serving rural and small-town markets across central Ohio. Its local decision-making model emphasizes personalized customer service and close ties to the communities it serves.

The company's primary business activities include the origination of commercial loans, consumer installment loans, agricultural financing, and residential mortgages.

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