Rep. Robert E. Latta Buys Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Inc. (NASDAQ:FMAO) Stock

Key Points

• Rep. Robert E. Latta (R‑Ohio) disclosed an April 20 purchase of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp (NASDAQ:FMAO) shares valued between $1,001 and $15,000.
• The bank posted an EPS beat for the quarter ($0.70 vs. $0.68), paid a $0.23 quarterly dividend (annualized yield ~3.5%), and trades at a P/E of 10.21 with a market cap of about $388 million.
• Insider activity included Eric D. Faust selling shares, institutional investors own roughly 23.96% of the stock, and analysts have a consensus Hold rating with a $28.25 target.

Representative Robert E. Latta (Republican-Ohio) recently bought shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Inc. NASDAQ: FMAO. In a filing disclosed on April 24th, the Representative disclosed that they had bought between $1,001 and $15,000 in Farmers & Merchants Bancorp stock on April 20th.

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Price Performance

FMAO stock opened at $26.64 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71, a quick ratio of 1.00 and a current ratio of 1.00. Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Inc. has a 1 year low of $22.46 and a 1 year high of $29.83. The firm has a market cap of $387.88 million, a P/E ratio of 10.21 and a beta of 0.81. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $26.19 and a 200-day simple moving average of $25.66.

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp (NASDAQ:FMAO - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, April 22nd. The financial services provider reported $0.70 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.68 by $0.02. Farmers & Merchants Bancorp had a return on equity of 9.95% and a net margin of 18.54%.The business had revenue of $32.44 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $32.54 million. On average, equities analysts predict that Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Inc. will post 2.81 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, April 20th. Stockholders of record on Friday, April 3rd were paid a $0.23 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, April 2nd. This represents a $0.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.5%. Farmers & Merchants Bancorp's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 38.02%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Farmers & Merchants Bancorp news, insider Eric D. Faust sold 1,148 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $25.16, for a total transaction of $28,883.68. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 5,538 shares in the company, valued at $139,336.08. This trade represents a 17.17% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 7.30% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Farmers & Merchants Bancorp

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of FMAO. Royal Bank of Canada grew its stake in Farmers & Merchants Bancorp by 124.6% during the 4th quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 1,159 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 643 shares in the last quarter. CANADA LIFE ASSURANCE Co acquired a new stake in Farmers & Merchants Bancorp during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $34,000. BNP Paribas Financial Markets grew its stake in Farmers & Merchants Bancorp by 36.0% during the 2nd quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 1,924 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $49,000 after purchasing an additional 509 shares in the last quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC grew its stake in Farmers & Merchants Bancorp by 126.2% during the 3rd quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 2,185 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $55,000 after purchasing an additional 1,219 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Tower Research Capital LLC TRC grew its stake in Farmers & Merchants Bancorp by 948.7% during the 2nd quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 4,436 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $112,000 after purchasing an additional 4,013 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 23.96% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

FMAO has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Piper Sandler initiated coverage on Farmers & Merchants Bancorp in a research note on Thursday, April 2nd. They issued a "neutral" rating and a $28.00 target price for the company. Hovde Group lowered their target price on Farmers & Merchants Bancorp from $30.00 to $28.50 and set a "market perform" rating for the company in a research note on Friday. Zacks Research lowered Farmers & Merchants Bancorp from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, December 30th. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded Farmers & Merchants Bancorp from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a research note on Monday, April 6th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $28.25.

About Representative Latta

Bob Latta (Republican Party) is a member of the U.S. House, representing Ohio's 5th Congressional District. He assumed office on January 3, 2007. His current term ends on January 3, 2027. Latta (Republican Party) ran for re-election to the U.S. House to represent Ohio's 5th Congressional District. He won in the general election on November 5, 2024.

About Farmers & Merchants Bancorp

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp NASDAQ: FMAO is the bank holding company for Farmers & Merchants Bank of Central California, a community-focused institution headquartered in Los Banos, California. The bank traces its roots to 1916 and has grown to serve individuals, businesses and agricultural enterprises throughout the western San Joaquin Valley. Operating with a commitment to local decision-making, the company emphasizes personalized service and close ties to the communities in which it operates.

Through its banking subsidiary, Farmers & Merchants offers a comprehensive suite of financial products and services, including checking and savings accounts, certificates of deposit, online and mobile banking platforms, and merchant services.

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