Farmers & Merchants Bancorp (NASDAQ:FMAO) Director Sells $103,620.00 in Stock

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Inc. (NASDAQ:FMAO) Director Andrew Briggs sold 3,000 shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $34.54, for a total value of $103,620.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 66,550 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,298,637. The trade was a 4.31% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link.

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:FMAO traded up $0.08 during trading on Wednesday, hitting $35.14. 40,720 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 67,388. Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Inc. has a one year low of $22.77 and a one year high of $35.94. The company has a quick ratio of 0.96, a current ratio of 0.96 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.44. The business’s fifty day moving average is $30.70 and its 200-day moving average is $28.12. The stock has a market capitalization of $483.88 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.08 and a beta of 0.80.

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

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, July 20th. Investors of record on Friday, July 10th were given a $0.23 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, July 10th. This represents a $0.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.6%. Farmers & Merchants Bancorp’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 31.62%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

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

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Farmers & Merchants Bancorp

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Versant Capital Management Inc lifted its stake in shares of 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 period. Royal Bank of Canada increased its stake 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 valued at $28,000 after acquiring an additional 643 shares during the period. CANADA LIFE ASSURANCE Co acquired a new position in shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $34,000. BNP Paribas Financial Markets raised 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 worth $49,000 after purchasing an additional 509 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Tower Research Capital LLC TRC raised its holdings in 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 worth $112,000 after purchasing an additional 4,013 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds 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.