JCSD Capital LLC Has $2.93 Million Stake in The First Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:FBMS)

JCSD Capital LLC reduced its position in shares of The First Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:FBMS - Free Report) by 31.3% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 99,794 shares of the bank's stock after selling 45,507 shares during the quarter. First Bancshares comprises about 8.9% of JCSD Capital LLC's portfolio, making the stock its 4th biggest position. JCSD Capital LLC owned 0.32% of First Bancshares worth $2,927,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of FBMS. American Century Companies Inc. increased its holdings in First Bancshares by 23.2% during the 1st quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 7,354 shares of the bank's stock worth $248,000 after purchasing an additional 1,386 shares during the period. Bank of Montreal Can bought a new stake in First Bancshares during the 1st quarter valued at $242,000. MetLife Investment Management LLC boosted its position in First Bancshares by 65.7% during the 1st quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC now owns 11,450 shares of the bank's stock valued at $385,000 after acquiring an additional 4,538 shares in the last quarter. Panagora Asset Management Inc. boosted its position in First Bancshares by 31.6% during the 1st quarter. Panagora Asset Management Inc. now owns 20,764 shares of the bank's stock valued at $699,000 after acquiring an additional 4,980 shares in the last quarter. Finally, BlackRock Inc. boosted its position in First Bancshares by 5.3% during the 1st quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 1,726,796 shares of the bank's stock valued at $58,122,000 after acquiring an additional 86,597 shares in the last quarter. 69.95% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

First Bancshares Stock Performance

FBMS traded up $0.57 on Friday, reaching $25.95. 290,269 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 245,007. The company's 50-day moving average price is $25.14 and its 200 day moving average price is $26.33. The First Bancshares, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $22.82 and a fifty-two week high of $32.06. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54, a current ratio of 0.85 and a quick ratio of 0.85. The firm has a market capitalization of $810.42 million, a PE ratio of 10.86 and a beta of 0.87.

First Bancshares (NASDAQ:FBMS - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 24th. The bank reported $0.59 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.70 by ($0.11). The company had revenue of $60.01 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $72.10 million. First Bancshares had a net margin of 19.47% and a return on equity of 10.60%. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that The First Bancshares, Inc. will post 2.53 EPS for the current fiscal year.

First Bancshares Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 23rd. Investors of record on Wednesday, February 7th were paid a $0.25 dividend. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.85%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, February 6th. This is a positive change from First Bancshares's previous quarterly dividend of $0.24. First Bancshares's payout ratio is currently 41.84%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages have issued reports on FBMS. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reaffirmed a "market perform" rating and set a $28.00 target price on shares of First Bancshares in a research report on Friday, January 26th. Stephens reissued an "overweight" rating and issued a $34.00 price objective on shares of First Bancshares in a research report on Wednesday, January 17th. TheStreet cut First Bancshares from a "b-" rating to a "c+" rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 28th. Finally, StockNews.com raised First Bancshares from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 13th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $32.00.

First Bancshares Company Profile

The First Bancshares, Inc operates as the bank holding company for The First Bank that provides general commercial and retail banking services. The company operates through three segments: Commercial/Retail Bank, Mortgage Banking Division, and Holding Company. It offers deposit services, including checking, NOW, and savings accounts; other time deposits, such as daily money market accounts and longer-term certificates of deposit; and individual retirement and health savings accounts.