First Business Financial Services, Inc. (NASDAQ:FBIZ) Short Interest Down 17.6% in December

First Business Financial Services, Inc. (NASDAQ:FBIZ) was the target of a large decrease in short interest during the month of December. As of December 31st, there was short interest totaling 62,409 shares, a decrease of 17.6% from the December 15th total of 75,758 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 25,449 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 2.5 days. Approximately 0.8% of the company’s stock are sold short. Approximately 0.8% of the company’s stock are sold short. Based on an average trading volume of 25,449 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 2.5 days.

First Business Financial Services Stock Performance

Shares of First Business Financial Services stock traded down $0.67 during trading on Tuesday, reaching $55.76. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 15,100 shares, compared to its average volume of 22,221. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $54.38 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $52.07. First Business Financial Services has a fifty-two week low of $42.18 and a fifty-two week high of $58.41. The firm has a market cap of $463.88 million, a PE ratio of 9.17 and a beta of 0.75. The company has a current ratio of 1.03, a quick ratio of 1.03 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.77.

First Business Financial Services (NASDAQ:FBIZ) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 30th. The financial services provider reported $1.70 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.39 by $0.31. First Business Financial Services had a net margin of 18.55% and a return on equity of 14.89%. The company had revenue of $44.29 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $42.30 million. On average, analysts forecast that First Business Financial Services will post 5.43 EPS for the current year.

First Business Financial Services Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, December 3rd. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, November 19th were paid a $0.29 dividend. This represents a $1.16 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.1%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, November 19th. First Business Financial Services’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 19.08%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts have commented on FBIZ shares. Piper Sandler increased their price target on shares of First Business Financial Services from $58.00 to $61.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 4th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b)” rating on shares of First Business Financial Services in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $60.67.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On First Business Financial Services

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Versant Capital Management Inc boosted its stake in shares of First Business Financial Services by 163.2% in the third quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 587 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $30,000 after buying an additional 364 shares in the last quarter. Hollencrest Capital Management grew its stake in shares of First Business Financial Services by 198.0% during the 2nd quarter. Hollencrest Capital Management now owns 611 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 406 shares during the period. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. acquired a new position in shares of First Business Financial Services during the 3rd quarter worth $33,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of First Business Financial Services by 32,175.0% in the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,291 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $65,000 after purchasing an additional 1,287 shares in the last quarter. Finally, CWM LLC lifted its stake in shares of First Business Financial Services by 72.9% in the second quarter. CWM LLC now owns 1,579 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $80,000 after purchasing an additional 666 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 60.07% of the company’s stock.

About First Business Financial Services

First Business Financial Services, Inc (NASDAQ:FBIZ) is a bank holding company headquartered in Madison, Wisconsin, offering a suite of commercial banking and financial services. Through its wholly owned subsidiary, First Business Bank, the company provides relationship-driven lending, deposit and treasury management solutions to small and mid-sized businesses, nonprofit organizations and high-net-worth individuals. Its core products include commercial real estate financing, equipment leasing, SBA-guaranteed lending, and cash management services.

In addition to lending and depository services, First Business Bank delivers investment advisory and wealth management through dedicated trust and private banking teams.