First Community Co. (NASDAQ:FCCO) Declares Quarterly Dividend of $0.14

First Community Co. (NASDAQ:FCCO - Get Free Report) declared a quarterly dividend on Tuesday, April 16th, Wall Street Journal reports. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, April 30th will be given a dividend of 0.14 per share by the bank on Tuesday, May 14th. This represents a $0.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.51%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, April 29th.

First Community has increased its dividend payment by an average of 5.3% annually over the last three years and has raised its dividend every year for the last 2 years. First Community has a dividend payout ratio of 29.3% indicating that its dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings. Equities research analysts expect First Community to earn $1.92 per share next year, which means the company should continue to be able to cover its $0.56 annual dividend with an expected future payout ratio of 29.2%.

First Community Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ FCCO remained flat at $15.95 during mid-day trading on Thursday. The stock had a trading volume of 18,249 shares, compared to its average volume of 21,747. The company has a market cap of $121.70 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.39 and a beta of 0.43. The company has a quick ratio of 0.77, a current ratio of 0.78 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.80. The firm's 50 day simple moving average is $16.85 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $17.93. First Community has a 1 year low of $15.40 and a 1 year high of $22.00.

First Community (NASDAQ:FCCO - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 17th. The bank reported $0.34 earnings per share for the quarter, hitting analysts' consensus estimates of $0.34. The firm had revenue of $24.44 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $14.83 million. First Community had a return on equity of 9.43% and a net margin of 14.25%. Analysts anticipate that First Community will post 1.57 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts recently commented on the company. StockNews.com raised First Community from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Thursday, January 25th. Raymond James raised First Community from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $21.00 price target for the company in a research note on Thursday, January 25th.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On First Community

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in FCCO. UBS Group AG boosted its stake in First Community by 314.7% during the third quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 1,833 shares of the bank's stock valued at $32,000 after buying an additional 1,391 shares during the last quarter. BNP Paribas Arbitrage SNC lifted its stake in shares of First Community by 4,253.3% in the 2nd quarter. BNP Paribas Arbitrage SNC now owns 1,959 shares of the bank's stock valued at $34,000 after purchasing an additional 1,914 shares during the last quarter. Citigroup Inc. bought a new stake in shares of First Community in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $38,000. California State Teachers Retirement System bought a new stake in shares of First Community in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $43,000. Finally, MetLife Investment Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of First Community in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $70,000. 61.25% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

First Community Company Profile

First Community Corporation operates as the bank holding company for First Community Bank that provides various commercial and retail banking products and services to small-to-medium sized businesses, professionals, and individuals. The company operates through Commercial and Retail Banking, Mortgage Banking, and Investment Advisory and Non-Deposit segments.