Sarah Harmon Sells 4,329 Shares of First Community Bancshares (NASDAQ:FCBC) Stock

Key Points

• Insider sale: SVP Sarah Harmon sold 4,329 FCBC shares for approximately $213,030, reducing her direct ownership by 34.72% to 8,141 shares.
• Strong operating results: First Community Bancshares reported quarterly EPS of $0.76, exceeding the $0.74 analyst consensus, while revenue totaled $81.71 million.
• Dividend increase: The company raised its quarterly dividend from $0.31 to $0.33 per share, equivalent to an annualized $1.32 payout and a 2.7% yield; analysts’ consensus rating remains “Hold.”

First Community Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:FCBC - Get Free Report) SVP Sarah Harmon sold 4,329 shares of the 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 transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 8,141 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $400,618.61. This trade represents a 34.72% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website.

First Community Bancshares Trading Up 0.7%

Shares of FCBC traded up $0.36 during mid-day trading on Monday, hitting $49.55. The company's stock had a trading volume of 82,227 shares, compared to its average volume of 82,209. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $46.18 and a 200 day simple moving average of $43.22. The firm has a market capitalization of $936.99 million, a P/E ratio of 15.63 and a beta of 0.48. First Community Bancshares, Inc. has a 1-year low of $31.21 and a 1-year high of $50.17.

First Community Bancshares (NASDAQ:FCBC - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 21st. The bank reported $0.76 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.74 by $0.02. The firm had revenue of $81.71 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $51.20 million. First Community Bancshares had a return on equity of 10.67% and a net margin of 28.84%. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that First Community Bancshares, Inc. will post 3.04 EPS for the current fiscal year.

First Community Bancshares Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 21st. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 7th were given a dividend of $0.33 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, August 7th. This is a positive change from First Community Bancshares's previous quarterly dividend of $0.31. This represents a $1.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.7%. First Community Bancshares's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 41.64%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts recently commented on FCBC shares. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of First Community Bancshares from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "buy (b)" rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 11th. Raymond James Financial began coverage on shares of First Community Bancshares in a research report on Tuesday, June 30th. They issued a "market perform" rating on the stock. Finally, Zacks Research upgraded First Community Bancshares to a "hold" rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 1st. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Hold".

Hedge Funds Weigh In On First Community Bancshares

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of FCBC. Global Retirement Partners LLC purchased a new position in shares of First Community Bancshares during the second quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Advisory Services Network LLC acquired a new position in First Community Bancshares in the 3rd quarter valued at $26,000. Aquatic Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of First Community Bancshares by 78.0% during the 3rd quarter. Aquatic Capital Management LLC now owns 1,143 shares of the bank's stock worth $40,000 after purchasing an additional 501 shares during the period. Russell Investments Group Ltd. boosted its holdings in shares of First Community Bancshares by 1,717.1% during the third quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 1,381 shares of the bank's stock worth $48,000 after purchasing an additional 1,305 shares during the last quarter. Finally, BNP Paribas Financial Markets boosted its holdings in shares of First Community Bancshares by 56.0% during the second quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 1,608 shares of the bank's stock worth $63,000 after purchasing an additional 577 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 34.95% of the company's stock.

First Community Bancshares Company Profile

First Community Bancshares, Inc NASDAQ: FCBC is a bank holding company headquartered in Mebane, North Carolina, that delivers banking and financial services through its wholly owned subsidiary, First Community Bank. The company’s core focus is on relationship-driven community banking, offering clients a blend of personalized service and competitive digital banking capabilities. It serves a diverse clientele that includes individuals, families, small and mid-sized businesses, nonprofit organizations and professional practices.

The bank provides a broad spectrum of deposit products, such as checking, savings, money market and certificate of deposit accounts, alongside treasury management and payment processing solutions.

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