First Community Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:FCBC) Short Interest Update

First Community Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:FCBC) was the recipient of a significant growth in short interest in March. As of March 13th, there was short interest totaling 325,793 shares, a growth of 30.6% from the February 26th total of 249,507 shares. Approximately 1.8% of the company’s stock are short sold. Based on an average trading volume of 79,004 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 4.1 days.

First Community Bancshares Stock Performance

NASDAQ FCBC remained flat at $41.19 during midday trading on Friday. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 85,986 shares, compared to its average volume of 93,630. First Community Bancshares has a 1-year low of $31.21 and a 1-year high of $42.15. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $38.99 and a 200-day simple moving average of $35.66. The stock has a market capitalization of $785.91 million, a P/E ratio of 15.49 and a beta of 0.57.

First Community Bancshares (NASDAQ:FCBC) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, January 27th. The bank reported $0.77 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.67 by $0.10. First Community Bancshares had a return on equity of 10.17% and a net margin of 26.32%.The firm had revenue of $43.79 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $43.20 million.

First Community Bancshares Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 27th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 13th were issued a dividend of $0.31 per share. This represents a $1.24 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.0%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 13th. First Community Bancshares’s dividend payout ratio is currently 46.62%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have issued reports on FCBC shares. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of First Community Bancshares from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Monday, March 23rd. Wall Street Zen raised shares of First Community Bancshares from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, November 29th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Buy”.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Hsbc Holdings PLC increased its position in First Community Bancshares by 1.2% during the 4th quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC now owns 35,959 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $1,205,000 after buying an additional 418 shares in the last quarter. Mariner LLC boosted its holdings in First Community Bancshares by 2.3% in the fourth quarter. Mariner LLC now owns 19,291 shares of the bank’s stock worth $651,000 after acquiring an additional 437 shares in the last quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. grew its stake in shares of First Community Bancshares by 4.9% during the first quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 10,124 shares of the bank’s stock worth $382,000 after acquiring an additional 474 shares during the last quarter. Osaic Holdings Inc. raised its position in shares of First Community Bancshares by 10.5% in the 2nd quarter. Osaic Holdings Inc. now owns 5,265 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $206,000 after purchasing an additional 499 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Aquatic Capital Management LLC grew its position in First Community Bancshares by 78.0% during the 3rd quarter. Aquatic Capital Management LLC now owns 1,143 shares of the bank’s stock worth $40,000 after purchasing an additional 501 shares during the last quarter. 34.95% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About First Community Bancshares

First Community Bancshares, Inc (NASDAQ: FCBC) is a bank holding company headquartered in Mebane, North Carolina, that delivers banking and financial services through its wholly owned subsidiary, First Community Bank. The company’s core focus is on relationship-driven community banking, offering clients a blend of personalized service and competitive digital banking capabilities. It serves a diverse clientele that includes individuals, families, small and mid-sized businesses, nonprofit organizations and professional practices.

The bank provides a broad spectrum of deposit products, such as checking, savings, money market and certificate of deposit accounts, alongside treasury management and payment processing solutions.