Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Inc. (NASDAQ:FMAO) Short Interest Down 21.2% in December

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Inc. (NASDAQ:FMAO) saw a significant decline in short interest in December. As of December 31st, there was short interest totaling 79,003 shares, a decline of 21.2% from the December 15th total of 100,305 shares. Approximately 0.6% of the shares of the stock are short sold. Based on an average trading volume of 26,227 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 3.0 days. Based on an average trading volume of 26,227 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 3.0 days. Approximately 0.6% of the shares of the stock are short sold.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Farmers & Merchants Bancorp

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. BNP Paribas Financial Markets increased its position in Farmers & Merchants Bancorp by 36.0% during the 2nd quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 1,924 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $49,000 after buying an additional 509 shares in the last quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp by 126.2% in the third quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 2,185 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $55,000 after acquiring an additional 1,219 shares during the last quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC increased its holdings in shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp by 948.7% during 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 acquiring an additional 4,013 shares in the last quarter. Trust Co. of Toledo NA OH purchased a new position in shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp in the 2nd quarter worth about $201,000. Finally, Franklin Resources Inc. purchased a new stake in Farmers & Merchants Bancorp during the 2nd quarter valued at about $210,000. Institutional investors own 23.96% of the company’s stock.

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Trading Down 0.3%

Shares of NASDAQ:FMAO traded down $0.07 on Friday, reaching $25.30. 25,568 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 21,193. The stock has a market capitalization of $347.88 million, a P/E ratio of 10.91 and a beta of 0.84. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $25.28 and its 200 day simple moving average is $25.33. The company has a current ratio of 0.97, a quick ratio of 0.97 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.52. Farmers & Merchants Bancorp has a 52 week low of $20.88 and a 52 week high of $28.97.

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp (NASDAQ:FMAO) last issued its earnings results on Monday, October 27th. The financial services provider reported $0.64 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.59 by $0.05. Farmers & Merchants Bancorp had a return on equity of 9.16% and a net margin of 17.03%.The company had revenue of $31.26 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $26.35 million. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Farmers & Merchants Bancorp will post 1.82 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, January 20th. Investors of record on Monday, December 29th will be issued a $0.23 dividend. This represents a $0.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.6%. This is an increase from Farmers & Merchants Bancorp’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.23. The ex-dividend date is Monday, December 29th. Farmers & Merchants Bancorp’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 39.66%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

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

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.