National Bankshares (NASDAQ:NKSH) Stock Crosses Above Two Hundred Day Moving Average - Here's Why

Key Points

• National Bankshares shares rose above their 200-day moving average, trading as high as $37.91 and last changing hands at $37.71, up about 2.7% on the day.
• The stock has drawn a series of analyst upgrades, including moves from sell to hold, hold to buy, and hold to strong-buy, giving it a current consensus rating of Strong Buy.
• The company posted better-than-expected quarterly results, with EPS of $0.78 versus $0.65 expected and revenue of $15.3 million versus $14.5 million expected.

National Bankshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:NKSH - Get Free Report) shares crossed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Thursday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $34.34 and traded as high as $37.91. National Bankshares shares last traded at $37.71, with a volume of 97,890 shares.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on NKSH shares. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of National Bankshares from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Saturday, April 4th. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of National Bankshares from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 7th. Finally, Zacks Research upgraded shares of National Bankshares from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 28th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and one has issued a Buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Strong Buy".

National Bankshares Stock Up 2.7%

The firm has a market capitalization of $240.21 million, a P/E ratio of 13.71 and a beta of 0.63. The company's 50 day moving average is $36.89 and its 200-day moving average is $34.34.

National Bankshares (NASDAQ:NKSH - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, April 23rd. The bank reported $0.78 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.65 by $0.13. The business had revenue of $15.30 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $14.50 million. National Bankshares had a net margin of 20.39% and a return on equity of 10.53%. On average, analysts predict that National Bankshares, Inc. will post 3.25 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of NKSH. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP grew its position in National Bankshares by 6.6% in the 1st quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 134,276 shares of the bank's stock valued at $4,889,000 after purchasing an additional 8,320 shares during the period. Hsbc Holdings PLC acquired a new position in National Bankshares during the first quarter worth $257,000. Lombard Odier Asset Management Switzerland SA acquired a new position in National Bankshares during the fourth quarter worth $4,034,000. Royal Bank of Canada raised its holdings in National Bankshares by 209.9% during the fourth quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 4,305 shares of the bank's stock worth $144,000 after buying an additional 2,916 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Barclays PLC raised its holdings in National Bankshares by 10.7% during the fourth quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 10,425 shares of the bank's stock worth $350,000 after buying an additional 1,006 shares during the last quarter. 29.73% of the stock is owned by 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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