Piper Sandler Has Lowered Expectations for Farmers & Merchants Bancorp (NASDAQ:FMAO) Stock Price

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp (NASDAQ:FMAO) had its price objective cut by investment analysts at Piper Sandler from $31.00 to $28.00 in a research report issued on Thursday,Benzinga reports. The firm presently has a “neutral” rating on the financial services provider’s stock. Piper Sandler’s price target suggests a potential upside of 10.41% from the stock’s previous close.

Several other analysts also recently commented on FMAO. Zacks Research downgraded shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, December 30th. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp in a report on Monday, December 29th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating, Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $28.00.

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Trading Down 2.3%

Shares of NASDAQ:FMAO traded down $0.59 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $25.36. The company had a trading volume of 2,062 shares, compared to its average volume of 35,207. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $26.40 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $25.54. The firm has a market cap of $369.24 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.48 and a beta of 0.81. Farmers & Merchants Bancorp 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 quick ratio of 1.00 and a current ratio of 1.00.

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp (NASDAQ:FMAO) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, February 12th. The financial services provider reported $0.71 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate 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 net margin of 17.47% and a return on equity of 9.33%. Research analysts predict that Farmers & Merchants Bancorp will post 1.82 earnings per share for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Farmers & Merchants Bancorp news, insider Eric D. Faust sold 1,148 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $25.16, for a total transaction of $28,883.68. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 5,538 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $139,336.08. This represents a 17.17% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Company insiders own 7.30% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Royal Bank of Canada grew its stake in Farmers & Merchants Bancorp by 124.6% in the 4th quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 1,159 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $28,000 after buying an additional 643 shares during the last quarter. CANADA LIFE ASSURANCE Co acquired a new position in Farmers & Merchants Bancorp during the 4th quarter worth $34,000. BNP Paribas Financial Markets boosted its holdings in Farmers & Merchants Bancorp by 36.0% during the second quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 1,924 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $49,000 after acquiring an additional 509 shares during the period. Farther Finance Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Farmers & Merchants Bancorp by 126.2% during the third quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 2,185 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $55,000 after acquiring an additional 1,219 shares during the period. Finally, Tower Research Capital LLC TRC grew its position in shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp by 948.7% in the second quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 4,436 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $112,000 after purchasing an additional 4,013 shares during the last quarter. 23.96% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Company Profile

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.