Andrew Briggs Sells 2,402 Shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp (NASDAQ:FMAO) Stock

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Inc. (NASDAQ:FMAO) Director Andrew Briggs sold 2,402 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $35.05, for a total value of $84,190.10. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 49,148 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,722,637.40. This represents a 4.66% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website.

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Stock Down 3.8%

NASDAQ FMAO opened at $33.50 on Thursday. 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 company has a fifty day moving average of $31.52 and a two-hundred day moving average of $28.49. The firm has a market capitalization of $461.30 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.51 and a beta of 0.80. Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Inc. has a 52 week low of $22.77 and a 52 week high of $35.94.

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

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Announces Dividend

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. This represents a $0.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, July 10th. Farmers & Merchants Bancorp’s dividend payout ratio is 31.62%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

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

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Farmers & Merchants Bancorp

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of FMAO. BlackRock Inc. bought a new position in Farmers & Merchants Bancorp in the second quarter worth approximately $33,241,000. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp by 0.7% in the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 682,608 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $17,072,000 after acquiring an additional 4,979 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its position in shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp by 0.8% in the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 301,252 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $7,448,000 after acquiring an additional 2,402 shares in the last quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company bought a new position in shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp in the 2nd quarter worth $8,843,000. Finally, Align Financial LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp during the 4th quarter worth $6,844,000. 23.96% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.