First Community Bancshares (NASDAQ:FCBC) Sees Unusually-High Trading Volume - Time to Buy?

Key Points

• First Community Bancshares shares traded unusually heavily, with 201,500 shares changing hands—129% above average volume—and closing at $47.94.
• The bank exceeded quarterly expectations, reporting $0.78 EPS versus the $0.77 estimate and revenue of $48.51 million versus $47.19 million expected.
• Analyst sentiment remains cautious with a consensus “Hold” rating, while the company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.33, representing a 2.8% annualized yield.

First Community Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:FCBC - Get Free Report) shares saw strong trading volume on Monday. 201,500 shares changed hands during trading, an increase of 129% from the average daily volume of 87,830 shares. The stock last traded at $47.94 and had previously closed at $46.94.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Separately, Weiss Ratings raised First Community Bancshares from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "buy (b)" rating in a report on Friday, October 16th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Hold".

First Community Bancshares Stock Performance

The company has a market cap of $902.39 million, a PE ratio of 14.42 and a beta of 0.49. The stock's 50-day simple moving average is $47.94 and its 200 day simple moving average is $43.78.

First Community Bancshares (NASDAQ:FCBC - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, October 27th. The bank reported $0.78 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.77 by $0.01. First Community Bancshares had a net margin of 29.48% and a return on equity of 10.98%. The business had revenue of $48.51 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $47.19 million. On average, sell-side analysts predict that First Community Bancshares, Inc. will post 3.05 EPS for the current fiscal year.

First Community Bancshares Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 27th. Investors of record on Friday, November 13th will be given a $0.33 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, November 13th. This represents a $1.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.8%. First Community Bancshares's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 39.88%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other First Community Bancshares news, SVP Sarah W. Harmon sold 4,329 shares of First Community Bancshares stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $49.21, for a total value of $213,030.09. Following the sale, the senior vice president owned 8,141 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $400,618.61. The trade was a 34.72% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 3.66% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On First Community Bancshares

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. BlackRock Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of First Community Bancshares in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $68,713,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp purchased a new position in First Community Bancshares in the second quarter worth $2,320,000. Renaissance Technologies LLC raised its position in First Community Bancshares by 81.0% in the first quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 55,188 shares of the bank's stock worth $2,291,000 after acquiring an additional 24,694 shares in the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE purchased a new position in First Community Bancshares in the second quarter worth $1,613,000. Finally, Hsbc Holdings PLC lifted its holdings in First Community Bancshares by 1.2% in the fourth quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC now owns 35,959 shares of the bank's stock valued at $1,205,000 after acquiring an additional 418 shares during the period. 34.95% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About First Community Bancshares

First Community Bancshares, Inc is a bank holding company headquartered in Bluefield, Virginia. Its principal subsidiary, First Community Bank, provides community banking services to individuals, families, businesses and organizations.

The bank offers a range of deposit products, including checking and savings accounts, money market accounts and certificates of deposit. Its lending activities include residential mortgages, home equity loans, consumer loans, commercial and industrial financing, commercial real estate loans and other credit products for businesses and communities.

First Community Bank also provides services such as online and mobile banking, treasury management, investment and wealth management services, and other financial solutions.

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