First Guaranty Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:FGBI) Short Interest Update

Key Points

• First Guaranty Bancshares experienced a 33.3% increase in short interest in August, raising the total to 17,200 shares.
• The company reported a loss of $0.61 per share for the most recent quarter, missing analyst estimates by $0.41.
• First Guaranty Bancshares declared a $0.01 quarterly dividend, with a yield of 0.5%, to be paid on September 30th.

First Guaranty Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:FGBI - Get Free Report) saw a significant increase in short interest in August. As of August 15th, there was short interest totaling 17,200 shares, anincreaseof33.3% from the July 31st total of 12,900 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 10,500 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 1.6 days. Approximately0.4% of the shares of the stock are short sold. Approximately0.4% of the shares of the stock are short sold. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 10,500 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 1.6 days.

First Guaranty Bancshares Price Performance

Shares of FGBI opened at $8.56 on Tuesday. First Guaranty Bancshares has a twelve month low of $6.55 and a twelve month high of $15.25. The company has a quick ratio of 0.88, a current ratio of 0.88 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.81. The company has a 50 day moving average of $8.42 and a 200-day moving average of $8.47. The stock has a market capitalization of $129.43 million, a P/E ratio of -8.48 and a beta of 0.40.

First Guaranty Bancshares (NASDAQ:FGBI - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Monday, August 18th. The bank reported ($0.61) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.20) by ($0.41). First Guaranty Bancshares had a negative net margin of 4.49% and a negative return on equity of 4.73%. The firm had revenue of $54.32 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $29.20 million. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that First Guaranty Bancshares will post 0.89 EPS for the current fiscal year.

First Guaranty Bancshares Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 30th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, September 23rd will be paid a dividend of $0.01 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, September 23rd. This represents a $0.04 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.5%. First Guaranty Bancshares's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently -3.96%.

Insider Activity at First Guaranty Bancshares

In other news, Director Marshall T. Reynolds bought 30,865 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 30th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $8.10 per share, for a total transaction of $250,006.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 1,916,468 shares in the company, valued at $15,523,390.80. The trade was a 1.64% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. 47.20% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On First Guaranty Bancshares

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Arkadios Wealth Advisors boosted its stake in shares of First Guaranty Bancshares by 14.0% during the first quarter. Arkadios Wealth Advisors now owns 12,236 shares of the bank's stock valued at $94,000 after purchasing an additional 1,502 shares during the period. Ameriprise Financial Inc. bought a new stake in shares of First Guaranty Bancshares during the 4th quarter valued at about $149,000. Citadel Advisors LLC increased its holdings in First Guaranty Bancshares by 26.9% in the 4th quarter. Citadel Advisors LLC now owns 13,661 shares of the bank's stock worth $155,000 after acquiring an additional 2,894 shares in the last quarter. Millennium Management LLC bought a new position in First Guaranty Bancshares in the 4th quarter worth approximately $172,000. Finally, Northern Trust Corp boosted its position in shares of First Guaranty Bancshares by 48.8% during the 4th quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 26,780 shares of the bank's stock valued at $304,000 after acquiring an additional 8,780 shares during the last quarter. 39.52% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

FGBI has been the topic of a number of research reports. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of First Guaranty Bancshares from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a report on Saturday, May 24th. Zacks Research upgraded shares of First Guaranty Bancshares to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 12th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Hold rating, According to data from MarketBeat, First Guaranty Bancshares presently has an average rating of "Hold".

About First Guaranty Bancshares

First Guaranty Bancshares, Inc operates as the holding company for First Guaranty Bank that provides commercial banking services in Louisiana and Texas. It offers various deposit products, including personal and business checking, savings, money market, and demand accounts, as well as time deposits to consumers, small businesses, and municipalities.

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