Andrew Briggs Sells 3,000 Shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp (NASDAQ:FMAO) Stock

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Inc. (NASDAQ:FMAO) Director Andrew Briggs sold 3,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, July 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $30.15, for a total transaction of $90,450.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 135,550 shares in the company, valued at $4,086,832.50. The trade was a 2.17% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink.

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Stock Performance

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp stock opened at $29.94 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.58, a current ratio of 0.98 and a quick ratio of 0.98. The firm has a market capitalization of $412.27 million, a P/E ratio of 11.47 and a beta of 0.81. Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Inc. has a 1-year low of $22.77 and a 1-year high of $32.00. The company’s 50-day moving average is $28.40 and its 200 day moving average is $26.97.

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp (NASDAQ:FMAO) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, April 22nd. The financial services provider reported $0.70 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.68 by $0.02. The business had revenue of $32.44 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $32.54 million. Farmers & Merchants Bancorp had a return on equity of 9.85% and a net margin of 18.54%. Research analysts forecast that Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Inc. will post 2.83 EPS for the current year.

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, July 20th. Investors of record on Friday, July 10th will be issued a dividend of $0.23 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, July 10th. This represents a $0.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.1%. Farmers & Merchants Bancorp’s payout ratio is presently 35.25%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

FMAO has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Piper Sandler reiterated a “neutral” rating and set a $32.00 target price (up from $28.50) on shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp in a research report on Thursday, June 25th. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a report on Thursday, June 18th. Finally, Hovde Group cut their price target on shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp from $30.00 to $28.50 and set a “market perform” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, April 24th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $30.25.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Farmers & Merchants Bancorp

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Versant Capital Management Inc grew its position in shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp by 72.2% during the 2nd quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 813 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $25,000 after buying an additional 341 shares in the last quarter. Ancora Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp in the third quarter valued at about $921,000. Royal Bank of Canada lifted its stake in Farmers & Merchants Bancorp by 124.6% in the fourth quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 1,159 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $28,000 after acquiring an additional 643 shares during the period. CANADA LIFE ASSURANCE Co purchased a new stake in Farmers & Merchants Bancorp in the fourth quarter worth about $34,000. Finally, BNP Paribas Financial Markets grew its holdings in Farmers & Merchants Bancorp by 36.0% during the 2nd quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 1,924 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $49,000 after acquiring an additional 509 shares in the last quarter. 23.96% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other 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.