Sarah Harmon Sells 4,329 Shares of First Community Bancshares (NASDAQ:FCBC) Stock

First Community Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:FCBC) SVP Sarah Harmon sold 4,329 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, August 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $49.21, for a total value of $213,030.09. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president owned 8,141 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $400,618.61. This trade represents a 34.72% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website.

First Community Bancshares Price Performance

Shares of First Community Bancshares stock opened at $49.34 on Wednesday. The firm has a market cap of $933.02 million, a PE ratio of 15.56 and a beta of 0.48. First Community Bancshares, Inc. has a 1 year low of $31.21 and a 1 year high of $50.17. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $46.45 and a 200-day moving average price of $43.36.

First Community Bancshares (NASDAQ:FCBC) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 21st. The bank reported $0.76 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.74 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $81.71 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $51.20 million. First Community Bancshares had a net margin of 28.84% and a return on equity of 10.67%. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that First Community Bancshares, Inc. will post 3.04 EPS for the current fiscal year.

First Community Bancshares Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 21st. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 7th were paid a $0.33 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, August 7th. This is a positive change from First Community Bancshares’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.31. This represents a $1.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.7%. First Community Bancshares’s dividend payout ratio is presently 41.64%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On First Community Bancshares

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Global Retirement Partners LLC bought a new position in First Community Bancshares during the second quarter worth about $25,000. Advisory Services Network LLC bought a new stake in shares of First Community Bancshares in the third quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Aquatic Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of First Community Bancshares by 78.0% during the 3rd quarter. Aquatic Capital Management LLC now owns 1,143 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $40,000 after buying an additional 501 shares in the last quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. boosted its holdings in First Community Bancshares by 1,717.1% in the 3rd quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 1,381 shares of the bank’s stock worth $48,000 after buying an additional 1,305 shares during the period. Finally, BNP Paribas Financial Markets boosted its holdings in First Community Bancshares by 56.0% in the 2nd quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 1,608 shares of the bank’s stock worth $63,000 after buying an additional 577 shares during the period. 34.95% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have recently issued reports on FCBC shares. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of First Community Bancshares from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 11th. Zacks Research upgraded First Community Bancshares to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 1st. Finally, Raymond James Financial started coverage on First Community Bancshares in a report on Tuesday, June 30th. They set a “market perform” rating for the company. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, First Community Bancshares has a consensus rating of “Hold”.

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.