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

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Inc. (NASDAQ:FMAO) Director Andrew Briggs sold 3,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, July 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $30.47, for a total transaction of $91,410.00. Following the sale, the director directly owned 111,550 shares in the company, valued at $3,398,928.50. This represents a 2.62% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website.

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Stock Performance

NASDAQ:FMAO opened at $34.44 on Wednesday. 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 cap of $474.24 million, a PE ratio of 11.84 and a beta of 0.81. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $29.39 and a 200-day simple moving average of $27.49. Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Inc. has a 1-year low of $22.77 and a 1-year high of $34.74.

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp (NASDAQ:FMAO) last announced its earnings results on Monday, July 27th. The financial services provider reported $0.86 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.67 by $0.19. Farmers & Merchants Bancorp had a net margin of 20.27% and a return on equity of 10.83%. The firm had revenue of $34.35 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $33.05 million. On average, equities analysts expect that Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Inc. will post 2.83 EPS for the current year.

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, July 20th. Stockholders of record on Friday, July 10th were given a $0.23 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, July 10th. This represents a $0.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.7%. Farmers & Merchants Bancorp’s payout ratio is currently 35.25%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Versant Capital Management Inc grew its stake in Farmers & Merchants Bancorp by 72.2% during the second 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 during the period. Ancora Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp in the 3rd quarter valued at $921,000. Royal Bank of Canada raised its stake in shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp by 124.6% in the 4th quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 1,159 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $28,000 after acquiring an additional 643 shares during the period. CANADA LIFE ASSURANCE Co acquired a new position in shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp during the 4th quarter valued at $34,000. Finally, BNP Paribas Financial Markets boosted its position 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 purchasing an additional 509 shares during the period. 23.96% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts recently weighed in on FMAO shares. 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. Hovde Group lowered their price target on Farmers & Merchants Bancorp from $30.00 to $28.50 and set a “market perform” rating for the company in a report on Friday, April 24th. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a research note on Thursday, June 18th. One 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.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $30.25.

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.