Farmers & Merchants Bancorp (NASDAQ:FMAO) Director Andrew Briggs Sells 3,000 Shares

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Inc. (NASDAQ:FMAO) Director Andrew Briggs sold 3,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, June 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $27.81, for a total value of $83,430.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 201,550 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,605,105.50. This represents a 1.47% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website.

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Price Performance

FMAO traded up $0.23 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $28.09. 121,714 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 53,190. Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Inc. has a 1-year low of $22.77 and a 1-year high of $29.83. The stock has a market capitalization of $386.74 million, a PE ratio of 10.76 and a beta of 0.82. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.58, a current ratio of 0.98 and a quick ratio of 0.98. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $26.90 and its 200 day moving average price is $26.27.

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp (NASDAQ:FMAO) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 22nd. The financial services provider reported $0.70 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.68 by $0.02. Farmers & Merchants Bancorp had a net margin of 18.54% and a return on equity of 9.85%. The business had revenue of $32.44 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $32.54 million. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Inc. will post 2.83 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, April 20th. Investors of record on Friday, April 3rd were paid a $0.23 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, April 2nd. This represents a $0.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.3%. Farmers & Merchants Bancorp’s payout ratio is presently 35.25%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have recently commented on FMAO. Hovde Group lowered their price objective on Farmers & Merchants Bancorp from $30.00 to $28.50 and set a “market perform” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, April 24th. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp from a “buy (b)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research note on Tuesday. Finally, Piper Sandler restated a “neutral” rating and set a $28.50 target price (up from $28.00) on shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp in a report on Monday, April 27th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $28.50.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Farmers & Merchants Bancorp

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Goelzer Investment Management Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp by 1,659.8% in the 4th quarter. Goelzer Investment Management Inc. now owns 485,064 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $11,991,000 after acquiring an additional 457,500 shares during the last quarter. Align Financial LLC bought a new stake in Farmers & Merchants Bancorp in the 4th quarter valued at about $6,844,000. Rhino Investment Partners Inc acquired a new position in shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp during the first quarter worth approximately $1,765,000. Segall Bryant & Hamill LLC acquired a new position in Farmers & Merchants Bancorp during the 1st quarter worth $1,319,000. Finally, Jane Street Group LLC grew its position in Farmers & Merchants Bancorp by 186.8% in the 4th quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 15,762 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $390,000 after buying an additional 33,916 shares in the last quarter. 23.96% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.