Farmers National Banc Corp. (NASDAQ:FMNB) Sees Large Increase in Short Interest

Farmers National Banc Corp. (NASDAQ:FMNB) was the target of a significant increase in short interest during the month of January. As of January 30th, there was short interest totaling 1,885,348 shares, an increase of 32.4% from the January 15th total of 1,424,041 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 345,761 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 5.5 days. Approximately 5.2% of the shares of the company are short sold. Approximately 5.2% of the shares of the company are short sold. Based on an average daily volume of 345,761 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 5.5 days.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in FMNB. Marshall Wace LLP bought a new stake in Farmers National Banc during the fourth quarter valued at $2,707,000. First Trust Advisors LP raised its holdings in shares of Farmers National Banc by 454.6% in the 3rd quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 137,655 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $1,984,000 after acquiring an additional 112,834 shares in the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC boosted its position in shares of Farmers National Banc by 109.2% during the 4th quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 143,728 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $1,914,000 after acquiring an additional 75,009 shares during the last quarter. Hotchkis & Wiley Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Farmers National Banc by 42.4% during the third quarter. Hotchkis & Wiley Capital Management LLC now owns 220,076 shares of the bank’s stock worth $3,171,000 after purchasing an additional 65,569 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Jane Street Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of Farmers National Banc during the first quarter worth about $830,000. Institutional investors own 38.72% of the company’s stock.

Farmers National Banc Price Performance

NASDAQ FMNB traded up $0.02 during trading hours on Tuesday, hitting $13.46. The company had a trading volume of 414,613 shares, compared to its average volume of 383,918. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19, a quick ratio of 0.73 and a current ratio of 0.73. The firm has a market capitalization of $506.77 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.28 and a beta of 0.85. Farmers National Banc has a 52 week low of $11.58 and a 52 week high of $15.50. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $13.59 and a 200 day simple moving average of $13.86.

Farmers National Banc (NASDAQ:FMNB) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 28th. The bank reported $0.40 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.47 by ($0.07). The firm had revenue of $49.89 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $50.70 million. Farmers National Banc had a return on equity of 13.34% and a net margin of 19.50%. Equities research analysts expect that Farmers National Banc will post 1.45 earnings per share for the current year.

Farmers National Banc Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 27th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 13th will be issued a $0.17 dividend. This represents a $0.68 annualized dividend and a yield of 5.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 13th. Farmers National Banc’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 46.90%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts have issued reports on the company. Piper Sandler lowered their target price on Farmers National Banc from $16.00 to $14.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Farmers National Banc in a report on Monday, December 29th. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Farmers National Banc from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Saturday, January 31st. Finally, Zacks Research lowered shares of Farmers National Banc from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Farmers National Banc presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $14.50.

Farmers National Banc Company Profile

Farmers National Banc Corp. operates as the bank holding company for Farmers National Bank, a community-oriented financial institution headquartered in Ada, Ohio. The company provides a comprehensive suite of banking services through a network of branches serving rural and small-town markets across central Ohio. Its local decision-making model emphasizes personalized customer service and close ties to the communities it serves.

The company’s primary business activities include the origination of commercial loans, consumer installment loans, agricultural financing, and residential mortgages.