First Community Bancshares (NASDAQ:FCBC) Reaches New 1-Year High - Time to Buy?

Key Points

• First Community Bancshares reached a new 52-week high, trading as high as $50.17 and closing near $50, with a market capitalization of approximately $939 million.
• The bank exceeded quarterly earnings expectations, reporting $0.76 in EPS versus the $0.74 consensus estimate, while generating $81.71 million in revenue and maintaining a 28.84% net margin.
• First Community raised its quarterly dividend from $0.31 to $0.33 per share, equivalent to a 2.7% annualized yield. Despite the dividend increase, analysts’ average rating remains “Hold,” and a company president recently sold 3,500 shares.

First Community Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:FCBC - Get Free Report) reached a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Monday . The stock traded as high as $50.17 and last traded at $49.9950, with a volume of 28683 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $49.19.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on FCBC shares. Raymond James Financial assumed coverage on shares of First Community Bancshares in a report on Tuesday, June 30th. They set a "market perform" rating on the stock. Zacks Research raised First Community Bancshares to a "hold" rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 1st. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded First Community Bancshares from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "buy (b)" rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 11th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, First Community Bancshares has an average rating of "Hold".

First Community Bancshares Price Performance

The firm has a market capitalization of $939.05 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.66 and a beta of 0.48. The business has a 50 day moving average of $46.18 and a 200 day moving average of $43.22.

First Community Bancshares (NASDAQ:FCBC - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 21st. The bank reported $0.76 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.74 by $0.02. First Community Bancshares had a net margin of 28.84% and a return on equity of 10.67%. The firm had revenue of $81.71 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $51.20 million. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that First Community Bancshares, Inc. will post 3.04 EPS for the current fiscal year.

First Community Bancshares Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 21st. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 7th were given a dividend of $0.33 per share. This is an increase from First Community Bancshares's previous quarterly dividend of $0.31. The ex-dividend date was Friday, August 7th. This represents a $1.32 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.7%. First Community Bancshares's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 41.64%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, President Gary R. Mills sold 3,500 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, July 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $47.67, for a total value of $166,845.00. Following the sale, the president owned 5,798 shares of the company's stock, valued at $276,390.66. The trade was a 37.64% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. 3.66% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On First Community Bancshares

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in FCBC. Global Retirement Partners LLC bought a new stake in shares of First Community Bancshares in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Advisory Services Network LLC acquired a new stake in First Community Bancshares in the 3rd quarter valued at $26,000. Aquatic Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in First Community Bancshares by 78.0% in the 3rd quarter. Aquatic Capital Management LLC now owns 1,143 shares of the bank's stock valued at $40,000 after buying an additional 501 shares in the last quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. grew its position in First Community Bancshares by 1,717.1% in the third quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 1,381 shares of the bank's stock valued at $48,000 after acquiring an additional 1,305 shares during the period. Finally, BNP Paribas Financial Markets grew its position in First Community Bancshares by 56.0% in the second quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 1,608 shares of the bank's stock valued at $63,000 after acquiring an additional 577 shares during the period. 34.95% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

First Community Bancshares Company Profile

First Community Bancshares, Inc NASDAQ: FCBC is a bank holding company headquartered in Mebane, North Carolina, that delivers banking and financial services through its wholly owned subsidiary, First Community Bank. The company’s core focus is on relationship-driven community banking, offering clients a blend of personalized service and competitive digital banking capabilities. It serves a diverse clientele that includes individuals, families, small and mid-sized businesses, nonprofit organizations and professional practices.

The bank provides a broad spectrum of deposit products, such as checking, savings, money market and certificate of deposit accounts, alongside treasury management and payment processing solutions.

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