National Bankshares (NASDAQ:NKSH) Stock Crosses Above 200 Day Moving Average - Should You Sell?

Key Points

• National Bankshares (NKSH) crossed above its 200-day moving average of $32.72, trading as high as $37.70 and last at $36.53, though it remains slightly below its 50-day MA of $36.83.
• The bank beat quarterly expectations with EPS of $0.92 vs. $0.68 consensus, and the company shows a market cap of $232.7M, a PE of 14.73, net margin of 18.55% and ROE of 9.78%.
• Analysts’ average rating is a Hold, and institutional investors increased stakes in Q4 (notably Lombard Odier, Fourthstone and Charles Schwab), with about 29.7% of shares held by funds.

National Bankshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:NKSH - Get Free Report) passed above its two hundred day moving average during trading on Wednesday . The stock has a two hundred day moving average of $32.72 and traded as high as $37.70. National Bankshares shares last traded at $36.53, with a volume of 21,273 shares traded.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have commented on the company. Wall Street Zen upgraded National Bankshares to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday, December 20th. Weiss Ratings restated a "hold (c)" rating on shares of National Bankshares in a research note on Monday, December 29th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Hold rating, According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Hold".

National Bankshares Stock Down 3.2%

The firm's fifty day moving average price is $36.83 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $32.72. The stock has a market capitalization of $232.70 million, a PE ratio of 14.73 and a beta of 0.70.

National Bankshares (NASDAQ:NKSH - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, February 5th. The bank reported $0.92 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.68 by $0.24. National Bankshares had a net margin of 18.55% and a return on equity of 9.78%. The company had revenue of $15.27 million for the quarter. As a group, analysts predict that National Bankshares, Inc. will post 2.35 EPS for the current year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On National Bankshares

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of NKSH. Lombard Odier Asset Management Switzerland SA purchased a new stake in National Bankshares during the fourth quarter valued at $4,034,000. Royal Bank of Canada lifted its holdings in National Bankshares by 209.9% in the fourth quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 4,305 shares of the bank's stock valued at $144,000 after acquiring an additional 2,916 shares during the period. Barclays PLC boosted its position in National Bankshares by 10.7% in the fourth quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 10,425 shares of the bank's stock worth $350,000 after purchasing an additional 1,006 shares during the last quarter. Fourthstone LLC boosted its position in National Bankshares by 76.0% in the fourth quarter. Fourthstone LLC now owns 226,138 shares of the bank's stock worth $7,582,000 after purchasing an additional 97,641 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. grew its stake in shares of National Bankshares by 54.3% during the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 27,853 shares of the bank's stock valued at $934,000 after purchasing an additional 9,803 shares during the period. 29.73% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

National Bankshares Company Profile

National Bankshares, Inc is a Virginia-based bank holding company headquartered in Reston. Through its primary subsidiaries, National Bank of Blacksburg and The Bank of Giles and Montgomery, the company offers a full suite of community banking services to individuals, small businesses and nonprofit organizations.

The company’s core activities include deposit-taking, consumer and commercial lending, mortgage origination and servicing, trust and wealth management, and electronic banking platforms.

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