Short Interest in Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Inc. (NASDAQ:FMAO) Rises By 33.6%

Key Points

• Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Inc. experienced a 33.6% increase in short interest in August, reaching a total of 102,100 shares.
• Several institutional investors, including BNP Paribas Financial Markets and Bridgeway Capital Management, have significantly adjusted their stakes in the bank, indicating growing interest among large shareholders.
• The company's stock is currently trading at $26.12, with a dividend yield of 3.4% and a recent quarterly earnings report showing earnings per share of $0.56, beating estimates.

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Inc. (NASDAQ:FMAO - Get Free Report) was the recipient of a large growth in short interest during the month of August. As of August 15th, there was short interest totaling 102,100 shares, a growth of 33.6% from the July 31st total of 76,400 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 21,800 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 4.7 days. Based on an average daily volume of 21,800 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 4.7 days.

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Stock Performance

Shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp stock traded down $0.49 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $26.01. The company had a trading volume of 14,752 shares, compared to its average volume of 18,454. The stock has a market cap of $356.86 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.04 and a beta of 0.90. The company has a quick ratio of 0.96, a current ratio of 0.96 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $25.68 and a 200 day simple moving average of $24.69. Farmers & Merchants Bancorp has a 12-month low of $20.88 and a 12-month high of $34.15.

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp (NASDAQ:FMAO - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Monday, July 28th. The financial services provider reported $0.56 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.51 by $0.05. The firm had revenue of $29.65 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $28.67 million. Farmers & Merchants Bancorp had a net margin of 16.04% and a return on equity of 8.66%. As a group, analysts predict that Farmers & Merchants Bancorp will post 1.82 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Sunday, July 20th. Investors of record on Monday, July 7th were given a $0.2213 dividend. This represents a $0.89 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, July 7th. Farmers & Merchants Bancorp's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 40.74%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Farmers & Merchants Bancorp

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. GAMMA Investing LLC raised its position in Farmers & Merchants Bancorp by 3,065.0% during the 1st quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 26,301 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $629,000 after buying an additional 25,470 shares during the last quarter. Northern Trust Corp raised its position in Farmers & Merchants Bancorp by 1.0% during the 4th quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 106,445 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $3,135,000 after buying an additional 1,089 shares during the last quarter. Squarepoint Ops LLC purchased a new position in Farmers & Merchants Bancorp during the 4th quarter worth approximately $225,000. Deutsche Bank AG raised its position in Farmers & Merchants Bancorp by 73.5% during the 4th quarter. Deutsche Bank AG now owns 15,548 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $458,000 after buying an additional 6,589 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Tower Research Capital LLC TRC raised its position in Farmers & Merchants Bancorp by 678.2% during the 4th quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 2,000 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $59,000 after buying an additional 1,743 shares during the last quarter. 23.96% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Farmers & Merchants Bancorp

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp, Inc is a bank holding company, which engages in the provision of commercial banking, retail banking, and financial services. It includes commercial, agricultural, and residential mortgages as well as consumer and credit card lending activities. The firm also offers checking account services, and savings and time deposit services.