Goelzer Investment Management Inc. Increases Stock Position in Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Inc. $FMAO

Goelzer Investment Management Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Inc. (NASDAQ:FMAO) by 1,659.8% during the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 485,064 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after buying an additional 457,500 shares during the period. Goelzer Investment Management Inc.’s holdings in Farmers & Merchants Bancorp were worth $11,991,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other large investors have also modified their holdings of FMAO. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted its stake in shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp by 20.6% in the third quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 12,702 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $318,000 after buying an additional 2,172 shares in the last quarter. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV purchased a new position in Farmers & Merchants Bancorp in the third quarter worth $224,000. Millennium Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp by 2.9% during the 3rd quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 25,483 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $637,000 after purchasing an additional 722 shares in the last quarter. Ancora Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp during the 3rd quarter worth $921,000. Finally, Bridgeway Capital Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp by 3.8% during the 3rd quarter. Bridgeway Capital Management LLC now owns 19,980 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $500,000 after purchasing an additional 723 shares during the period. 23.96% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Stock Performance

NASDAQ FMAO opened at $25.14 on Friday. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $26.41 and a 200 day moving average price of $25.55. The company has a market capitalization of $366.04 million, a P/E ratio of 10.39 and a beta of 0.85. Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Inc. has a 1-year low of $20.88 and a 1-year high of $29.83. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71, a current ratio of 1.00 and a quick ratio of 1.00.

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp (NASDAQ:FMAO) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, February 12th. The financial services provider reported $0.71 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.67 by $0.04. The company had revenue of $32.45 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $27.30 million. Farmers & Merchants Bancorp had a return on equity of 9.33% and a net margin of 17.47%. Sell-side analysts expect that Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Inc. will post 1.82 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, April 20th. Investors of record on Friday, April 3rd will be given a $0.23 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, April 2nd. This represents a $0.92 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.7%. Farmers & Merchants Bancorp’s payout ratio is currently 38.02%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Zacks Research downgraded shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, December 30th. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating, According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold”.

Insider Activity at Farmers & Merchants Bancorp

In related news, insider Eric D. Faust sold 1,148 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $25.16, for a total value of $28,883.68. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 5,538 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $139,336.08. This represents a 17.17% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. 7.30% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

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.