Goelzer Investment Management Inc. Grows Position in Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Inc. $FMAO

Key Points

• Goelzer Investment Management sharply increased its stake in Farmers & Merchants Bancorp by 1,659.8% in Q4, buying an additional 457,500 shares to hold 485,064 shares (≈3.53% of the company) valued at about $11.99 million.
• The company reported quarterly EPS $0.71 (beating $0.67) and revenue of $32.45M (vs. $27.30M expected), and announced a quarterly dividend of $0.23 (annualized yield ~3.7%, DPR 38.02%).
• Market metrics: market cap ≈$366M, P/E 10.39, 12‑month range $20.88–$29.83; institutional investors own 23.96% of the stock while insiders hold 7.30% (including a recent insider sale).

Goelzer Investment Management Inc. boosted its position in shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Inc. (NASDAQ:FMAO - Free Report) by 1,659.8% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 485,064 shares of the financial services provider's stock after buying an additional 457,500 shares during the period. Goelzer Investment Management Inc. owned 3.53% of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp worth $11,991,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Russell Investments Group Ltd. purchased a new position in shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp during the third quarter worth approximately $616,000. TrueMark Investments LLC acquired a new position in shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp in the 3rd quarter valued at $559,000. Jane Street Group LLC purchased a new stake in Farmers & Merchants Bancorp in the 1st quarter valued at $380,000. Hicks Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in Farmers & Merchants Bancorp in the 3rd quarter valued at $363,000. Finally, Squarepoint Ops LLC boosted its stake in Farmers & Merchants Bancorp by 71.4% during the 3rd quarter. Squarepoint Ops LLC now owns 25,273 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $632,000 after purchasing an additional 10,530 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 23.96% of the company's stock.

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Trading Up 0.6%

Shares of FMAO stock opened at $25.14 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $366.04 million, a P/E ratio of 10.39 and a beta of 0.85. The company has a current ratio of 1.00, a quick ratio of 1.00 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71. The business's 50 day moving average is $26.41 and its two-hundred day moving average is $25.55. Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Inc. has a twelve month low of $20.88 and a twelve month high of $29.83.

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp (NASDAQ:FMAO - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 12th. The financial services provider reported $0.71 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.67 by $0.04. Farmers & Merchants Bancorp had a return on equity of 9.33% and a net margin of 17.47%.The business had revenue of $32.45 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $27.30 million. Equities analysts forecast that Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Inc. will post 1.82 EPS for the current year.

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, April 20th. Stockholders of record on Friday, April 3rd will be paid a $0.23 dividend. This represents a $0.92 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.7%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, April 2nd. Farmers & Merchants Bancorp's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 38.02%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

FMAO has been the topic of several research reports. Zacks Research downgraded shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, December 30th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "hold (c)" rating on shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp in a report on Monday, December 29th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating, According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Hold".

Insider Activity at Farmers & Merchants Bancorp

In other news, insider Eric D. Faust sold 1,148 shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $25.16, for a total value of $28,883.68. Following the sale, the insider owned 5,538 shares of the company's stock, valued at $139,336.08. The trade was a 17.17% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 7.30% of the company's stock.

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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