First Us Bancsh (NASDAQ:FUSB) Sees Significant Increase in Short Interest

Key Points

• Short interest surged 42.2% to 7,381 shares as of Feb. 27 (about 0.1% of shares), leaving a short-interest ratio of roughly 1.1 days based on average volume.
• Institutional activity picked up—hedge funds and other institutions own about 18.74% of the stock, with notable position increases from Geode, EverSource Wealth Advisors and Bank of America.
• First US Bancshares trades near $14.94 with a market cap of $86.2M, reported $0.36 EPS for the quarter, and pays a quarterly dividend of $0.07 (1.9% yield; ex-dividend March 13).

First Us Bancsh (NASDAQ:FUSB - Get Free Report) saw a large growth in short interest during the month of February. As of February 27th, there was short interest totaling 7,381 shares, a growth of 42.2% from the February 12th total of 5,190 shares. Approximately 0.1% of the company's shares are sold short. Based on an average trading volume of 6,697 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 1.1 days. Based on an average trading volume of 6,697 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 1.1 days. Approximately 0.1% of the company's shares are sold short.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On First Us Bancsh

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of FUSB. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in First Us Bancsh by 2.8% during the 2nd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 56,964 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $735,000 after purchasing an additional 1,526 shares in the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its position in First Us Bancsh by 129.8% in the 4th quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 4,966 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $69,000 after buying an additional 2,805 shares during the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE grew its stake in shares of First Us Bancsh by 37.3% during the third quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 16,056 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $193,000 after acquiring an additional 4,365 shares in the last quarter. Daytona Street Capital LLC purchased a new stake in shares of First Us Bancsh during the fourth quarter worth about $169,000. Finally, Marble Wealth LLC acquired a new position in shares of First Us Bancsh in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $214,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 18.74% of the company's stock.

First Us Bancsh Trading Down 0.4%

Shares of NASDAQ FUSB traded down $0.06 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $14.94. The stock had a trading volume of 8,800 shares, compared to its average volume of 7,198. The company has a market capitalization of $86.18 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.94 and a beta of 0.26. First Us Bancsh has a 1-year low of $10.30 and a 1-year high of $15.99. The company has a quick ratio of 0.90, a current ratio of 0.90 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.10. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $14.82 and a 200 day moving average price of $13.59.

First Us Bancsh (NASDAQ:FUSB - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, January 28th. The financial services provider reported $0.36 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. First Us Bancsh had a net margin of 9.51% and a return on equity of 5.85%. The firm had revenue of $19.84 million during the quarter.

First Us Bancsh Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 13th will be given a $0.07 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 13th. This represents a $0.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.9%. First Us Bancsh's dividend payout ratio is presently 28.00%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, Weiss Ratings reiterated a "hold (c)" rating on shares of First Us Bancsh in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. One analyst has rated the stock with a Hold rating, According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Hold".

First Us Bancsh Company Profile

First US Bancshares, Inc is the bank holding company for First US Bank, a community-focused financial institution established in 2006 and headquartered in Brookfield, Wisconsin. Through its subsidiary, the company delivers a comprehensive suite of banking products and services designed to meet the needs of individuals, small to midsize businesses, and public sector entities across Southeastern and Northeastern Wisconsin.

The firm's core offerings include commercial lending, treasury management, deposit products and residential mortgage financing.

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