Peoples Bancorp of North Carolina (NASDAQ:PEBK) Share Price Crosses Above Fifty Day Moving Average – Should You Sell?

Shares of Peoples Bancorp of North Carolina, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEBK) passed above its 50-day moving average during trading on Monday . The stock has a 50-day moving average of $37.40 and traded as high as $37.98. Peoples Bancorp of North Carolina shares last traded at $37.61, with a volume of 17,039 shares trading hands.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have commented on PEBK shares. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Peoples Bancorp of North Carolina from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a report on Friday, February 20th. Wall Street Zen upgraded Peoples Bancorp of North Carolina to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, December 20th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Hold rating, According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold”.

Peoples Bancorp of North Carolina Stock Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.10, a quick ratio of 0.84 and a current ratio of 0.84. The company has a market capitalization of $205.35 million, a PE ratio of 10.39 and a beta of 0.31. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $37.40 and a 200 day moving average price of $33.87.

Peoples Bancorp of North Carolina (NASDAQ:PEBK) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Monday, January 26th. The bank reported $1.21 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. The business had revenue of $24.99 million during the quarter. Peoples Bancorp of North Carolina had a net margin of 17.30% and a return on equity of 13.77%.

Peoples Bancorp of North Carolina Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 16th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, March 4th will be given a $0.21 dividend. This represents a $0.84 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, March 4th. This is an increase from Peoples Bancorp of North Carolina’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.20. Peoples Bancorp of North Carolina’s payout ratio is presently 23.20%.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director James S. Abernethy sold 1,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $38.34, for a total value of $38,340.00. Following the sale, the director owned 72,526 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,780,646.84. This represents a 1.36% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 2,123 shares of company stock valued at $81,586. Corporate insiders own 18.94% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Peoples Bancorp of North Carolina

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of PEBK. Fourthstone LLC lifted its holdings in Peoples Bancorp of North Carolina by 115.2% during the 2nd quarter. Fourthstone LLC now owns 35,162 shares of the bank’s stock worth $1,014,000 after buying an additional 18,825 shares during the last quarter. HoldCo Asset Management LP bought a new stake in shares of Peoples Bancorp of North Carolina in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $729,000. Police & Firemen s Retirement System of New Jersey bought a new stake in shares of Peoples Bancorp of North Carolina in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC raised its position in shares of Peoples Bancorp of North Carolina by 14.5% during the 2nd quarter. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC now owns 9,425 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $272,000 after acquiring an additional 1,190 shares in the last quarter. Finally, MetLife Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Peoples Bancorp of North Carolina during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $88,000. 43.83% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Peoples Bancorp of North Carolina

Peoples Bancorp of North Carolina, Inc is a bank holding company headquartered in Hickory, North Carolina, that operates through its wholly owned subsidiary, Peoples Bank. The company provides a comprehensive suite of banking and financial services tailored to individuals, small businesses, and municipal clients in the western region of North Carolina.

Through its community banking network, Peoples Bancorp offers deposit products such as checking, savings, money market accounts and certificates of deposit, alongside consumer and commercial lending solutions.