Vanguard Group Inc. Trims Stake in First Bank (NASDAQ:FRBA)

Vanguard Group Inc. lessened its holdings in First Bank (NASDAQ:FRBA - Free Report) by 4.1% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 1,202,830 shares of the bank's stock after selling 52,023 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. owned 6.15% of First Bank worth $16,924,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of FRBA. Picton Mahoney Asset Management purchased a new stake in shares of First Bank during the fourth quarter worth about $31,000. FNY Investment Advisers LLC purchased a new stake in First Bank during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $98,000. SG Americas Securities LLC raised its position in shares of First Bank by 26.7% during the fourth quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 9,419 shares of the bank's stock valued at $133,000 after buying an additional 1,982 shares during the last quarter. Bailard Inc. purchased a new position in shares of First Bank in the fourth quarter worth $398,000. Finally, Rhumbline Advisers boosted its position in shares of First Bank by 2.4% during the fourth quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 30,535 shares of the bank's stock worth $430,000 after acquiring an additional 730 shares during the last quarter. 64.86% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

First Bank Price Performance

First Bank stock traded up $0.58 during midday trading on Tuesday, reaching $14.13. 37,166 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 48,732. The stock has a market cap of $276.52 million, a P/E ratio of 8.46 and a beta of 0.76. The stock's fifty day moving average is $14.46 and its 200-day moving average is $14.52. The company has a quick ratio of 1.11, a current ratio of 1.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66. First Bank has a 12 month low of $11.20 and a 12 month high of $15.87.

First Bank (NASDAQ:FRBA - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, April 22nd. The bank reported $0.37 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.39 by ($0.02). First Bank had a net margin of 18.41% and a return on equity of 11.06%. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $0.49 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that First Bank will post 1.78 EPS for the current year.

First Bank Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 21st. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 7th were issued a $0.06 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 7th. This represents a $0.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.70%. First Bank's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 14.37%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Separately, StockNews.com downgraded shares of First Bank from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, January 27th.

About First Bank

First Bank provides various banking products and services to small to mid-sized businesses and individuals. The company accepts various deposits, including non-interest-bearing demand deposits, interest bearing demand accounts, money market accounts, savings accounts, and certificates of deposit, as well as commercial checking accounts.