Short Interest in Farmers National Banc Corp. (NASDAQ:FMNB) Rises By 27.7%

Key Points

• Short interest up 27.7% — Short interest rose to 979,316 shares as of March 31 (a 27.7% increase from March 15), equal to about 2.7% of shares and a short-interest ratio of 2.1 days.
• Director Edward Muransky bought 40,000 shares on March 3 at about $12.74, increasing his stake by 25.64% to 196,020 shares, and insiders purchased roughly 41,672 shares over the last three months.
• The bank pays a $0.17 quarterly dividend (annualized $0.68) for a 4.9% yield with a 46.9% payout ratio, and recently missed quarterly EPS ($0.40 vs. $0.47 consensus) while consensus analyst rating remains a "Hold" with a $14.50 average target.

Farmers National Banc Corp. (NASDAQ:FMNB - Get Free Report) saw a significant increase in short interest in March. As of March 31st, there was short interest totaling 979,316 shares, an increase of 27.7% from the March 15th total of 767,086 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 467,602 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 2.1 days. Approximately 2.7% of the shares of the stock are short sold.

Farmers National Banc Stock Down 0.5%

FMNB stock opened at $13.89 on Thursday. The company's 50 day simple moving average is $13.16 and its 200-day simple moving average is $13.45. The firm has a market capitalization of $524.21 million, a PE ratio of 9.58 and a beta of 0.76. Farmers National Banc has a 12 month low of $12.12 and a 12 month high of $15.50. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18, a current ratio of 0.73 and a quick ratio of 0.73.

Farmers National Banc (NASDAQ:FMNB - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 28th. The bank reported $0.40 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.47 by ($0.07). The business had revenue of $49.89 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $50.70 million. Farmers National Banc had a net margin of 19.50% and a return on equity of 13.03%. Equities analysts expect that Farmers National Banc will post 1.45 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Farmers National Banc Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 27th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 13th were given a $0.17 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 13th. This represents a $0.68 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.9%. Farmers National Banc's dividend payout ratio is currently 46.90%.

Insider Transactions at Farmers National Banc

In related news, Director Edward Muransky bought 40,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 3rd. The stock was bought at an average cost of $12.74 per share, with a total value of $509,600.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director owned 196,020 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,497,294.80. This represents a 25.64% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Insiders have bought 41,672 shares of company stock valued at $530,974 over the last three months. Company insiders own 3.50% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of Farmers National Banc

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of FMNB. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. lifted its holdings in shares of Farmers National Banc by 4.5% during the 1st quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 21,652 shares of the bank's stock valued at $283,000 after acquiring an additional 936 shares in the last quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Farmers National Banc by 3.5% during the 4th quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 27,607 shares of the bank's stock valued at $368,000 after acquiring an additional 940 shares in the last quarter. HBK Sorce Advisory LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Farmers National Banc by 2.3% during the 4th quarter. HBK Sorce Advisory LLC now owns 42,083 shares of the bank's stock valued at $569,000 after acquiring an additional 966 shares in the last quarter. CANADA LIFE ASSURANCE Co lifted its holdings in shares of Farmers National Banc by 12.4% during the 4th quarter. CANADA LIFE ASSURANCE Co now owns 9,814 shares of the bank's stock valued at $131,000 after acquiring an additional 1,083 shares in the last quarter. Finally, First Trust Advisors LP lifted its holdings in shares of Farmers National Banc by 6.2% during the 2nd quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 24,821 shares of the bank's stock valued at $342,000 after acquiring an additional 1,458 shares in the last quarter. 38.72% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have issued reports on FMNB shares. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Farmers National Banc from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a report on Saturday, March 28th. Piper Sandler dropped their target price on shares of Farmers National Banc from $16.00 to $14.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, January 29th. Zacks Research raised shares of Farmers National Banc from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Friday, April 3rd. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "hold (c+)" rating on shares of Farmers National Banc in a report on Monday, December 29th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $14.50.

About Farmers National Banc

Farmers National Banc Corp. operates as the bank holding company for Farmers National Bank, a community-oriented financial institution headquartered in Ada, Ohio. The company provides a comprehensive suite of banking services through a network of branches serving rural and small-town markets across central Ohio. Its local decision-making model emphasizes personalized customer service and close ties to the communities it serves.

The company's primary business activities include the origination of commercial loans, consumer installment loans, agricultural financing, and residential mortgages.

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