Middlefield Banc (NASDAQ:MBCN) Stock Price Passes Below 50 Day Moving Average – Should You Sell?

Middlefield Banc Corp. (NASDAQ:MBCN) shares passed below its 50-day moving average during trading on Thursday . The stock has a 50-day moving average of $34.66 and traded as low as $34.48. Middlefield Banc shares last traded at $34.92, with a volume of 42,390 shares changing hands.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Zacks Research raised Middlefield Banc from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 20th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Middlefield Banc in a report on Monday, December 29th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $35.00.

Middlefield Banc Stock Up 1.0%

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.05, a quick ratio of 0.99 and a current ratio of 0.99. The company has a market cap of $282.50 million, a P/E ratio of 14.61 and a beta of 0.38. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $34.66 and a 200 day moving average price of $32.89.

Middlefield Banc (NASDAQ:MBCN) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, February 10th. The bank reported $0.38 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.65 by ($0.27). Middlefield Banc had a return on equity of 8.91% and a net margin of 16.65%.The firm had revenue of $19.34 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $19.97 million. Research analysts expect that Middlefield Banc Corp. will post 1.96 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Middlefield Banc Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 27th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, February 17th will be paid a $0.21 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, February 17th. This represents a $0.84 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.4%. Middlefield Banc’s payout ratio is currently 35.15%.

Institutional Trading of Middlefield Banc

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Elizabeth Park Capital Advisors Ltd. boosted its stake in shares of Middlefield Banc by 211.2% during the 2nd quarter. Elizabeth Park Capital Advisors Ltd. now owns 86,307 shares of the bank’s stock worth $2,599,000 after acquiring an additional 58,576 shares in the last quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Middlefield Banc during the second quarter worth $1,056,000. Redmont Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Middlefield Banc during the third quarter valued at $794,000. Prospera Financial Services Inc purchased a new stake in shares of Middlefield Banc during the third quarter valued at $400,000. Finally, Police & Firemen s Retirement System of New Jersey boosted its position in shares of Middlefield Banc by 107.2% in the 2nd quarter. Police & Firemen s Retirement System of New Jersey now owns 2,047 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $62,000 after purchasing an additional 1,059 shares during the period. 31.72% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Middlefield Banc

Middlefield Banc is a bank holding company headquartered in Middlefield, Ohio, operating through its subsidiary, Middlefield Banking Company. The firm offers a suite of deposit products, including checking, savings, money market accounts and certificates of deposit, alongside comprehensive cash management solutions designed for both individual consumers and businesses.

On the lending side, Middlefield Banc specializes in commercial and residential real estate loans, consumer installment loans and lines of credit.