Oak Valley Bancorp (CA) (NASDAQ:OVLY) Short Interest Up 41.8% in March

Oak Valley Bancorp (CA) (NASDAQ:OVLY) was the target of a significant increase in short interest during the month of March. As of March 13th, there was short interest totaling 48,163 shares, an increase of 41.8% from the February 26th total of 33,962 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 19,866 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 2.4 days. Currently, 0.7% of the company’s stock are sold short.

Oak Valley Bancorp Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:OVLY traded down $0.24 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $31.81. The company had a trading volume of 10,387 shares, compared to its average volume of 23,583. The stock has a market capitalization of $267.52 million, a P/E ratio of 11.05 and a beta of 0.25. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $32.44 and its 200-day moving average price is $29.91. Oak Valley Bancorp has a one year low of $22.70 and a one year high of $34.16.

Oak Valley Bancorp (NASDAQ:OVLY) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Monday, January 26th. The financial services provider reported $0.76 EPS for the quarter. The firm had revenue of $21.29 million for the quarter. Oak Valley Bancorp had a net margin of 25.16% and a return on equity of 12.33%.

Oak Valley Bancorp Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 13th. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 2nd were given a dividend of $0.375 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, February 2nd. This represents a dividend yield of 232.0%. Oak Valley Bancorp’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 26.04%.

Institutional Trading of Oak Valley Bancorp

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of OVLY. Kestra Advisory Services LLC acquired a new stake in Oak Valley Bancorp during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $42,000. BNP Paribas Financial Markets grew its position in shares of Oak Valley Bancorp by 123.4% in the 3rd quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 2,708 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $76,000 after acquiring an additional 1,496 shares in the last quarter. CWM LLC grew its position in shares of Oak Valley Bancorp by 43.9% in the 3rd quarter. CWM LLC now owns 3,280 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $92,000 after acquiring an additional 1,001 shares in the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased its holdings in shares of Oak Valley Bancorp by 23.6% in the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 5,997 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $169,000 after acquiring an additional 1,145 shares during the last quarter. Finally, LSV Asset Management increased its holdings in shares of Oak Valley Bancorp by 147.7% in the 3rd quarter. LSV Asset Management now owns 7,224 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $204,000 after acquiring an additional 4,307 shares during the last quarter. 30.86% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Oak Valley Bancorp in a report on Monday, December 29th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Buy”.

About Oak Valley Bancorp

Oak Valley Bancorp is the bank holding company for Oak Valley Community Bank, a California-chartered commercial bank headquartered in Lodi, California. Through its subsidiary, the company offers a full suite of banking services tailored to individuals, businesses, agricultural enterprises and nonprofit organizations. Its product portfolio includes checking and savings accounts, money market instruments, certificates of deposit and individual retirement accounts, alongside digital banking tools such as mobile and online banking platforms.

On the lending side, Oak Valley Bancorp provides commercial real estate and construction loans, agricultural and farm real estate financing, equipment leases, SBA-initiated programs and lines of credit.