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

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Inc. (NASDAQ:FMAO) Director Andrew Briggs sold 3,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $33.69, for a total value of $101,070.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 81,550 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,747,419.50. The trade was a 3.55% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link.

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Stock Up 0.4%

Shares of NASDAQ FMAO opened at $34.28 on Friday. Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Inc. has a one year low of $22.77 and a one year high of $35.94. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.44, a current ratio of 0.96 and a quick ratio of 0.96. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $30.28 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $27.93. The stock has a market capitalization of $472.04 million, a P/E ratio of 11.78 and a beta of 0.80.

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp (NASDAQ:FMAO) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Monday, July 27th. The financial services provider reported $0.86 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.67 by $0.19. The firm had revenue of $34.35 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $33.05 million. Farmers & Merchants Bancorp had a net margin of 20.27% and a return on equity of 10.72%. As a group, analysts expect that Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Inc. will post 3.05 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, July 20th. Investors of record on Friday, July 10th were given a $0.23 dividend. This represents a $0.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.7%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, July 10th. Farmers & Merchants Bancorp’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 31.62%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have weighed in on the stock. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, August 1st. Zacks Research upgraded Farmers & Merchants Bancorp from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. Weiss Ratings raised Farmers & Merchants Bancorp from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a research note on Thursday, June 18th. Hovde Group lowered their target price on Farmers & Merchants Bancorp from $30.00 to $28.50 and set a “market perform” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, April 24th. Finally, Piper Sandler restated a “neutral” rating and set a $36.00 target price (up from $32.00) on shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, one has issued a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Farmers & Merchants Bancorp has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $32.25.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Farmers & Merchants Bancorp

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Versant Capital Management Inc grew its holdings in Farmers & Merchants Bancorp by 72.2% in the 2nd quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 813 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 341 shares during the last quarter. Ancora Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp during the third quarter valued at about $921,000. Royal Bank of Canada boosted its holdings in shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp by 124.6% during the fourth quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 1,159 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 643 shares during the period. CANADA LIFE ASSURANCE Co purchased a new stake in shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp during the fourth quarter worth about $34,000. Finally, BNP Paribas Financial Markets grew its stake in shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp by 36.0% in the second quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 1,924 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $49,000 after purchasing an additional 509 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 23.96% of the company’s stock.

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.