Farmers & Merchants Bancorp (NASDAQ:FMAO) Stock Price Passes Below Two Hundred Day Moving Average – Should You Sell?

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Inc. (NASDAQ:FMAO)’s stock price passed below its 200-day moving average during trading on Friday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $25.34 and traded as low as $25.30. Farmers & Merchants Bancorp shares last traded at $25.30, with a volume of 25,568 shares changing hands.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp in a report on Monday, December 29th. Zacks Research cut shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, December 30th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating, According to MarketBeat.com, Farmers & Merchants Bancorp has an average rating of “Hold”.

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Trading Down 0.3%

The company’s 50-day moving average is $25.28 and its 200-day moving average is $25.33. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.52, a quick ratio of 0.97 and a current ratio of 0.97. The firm has a market cap of $347.88 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.91 and a beta of 0.84.

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp (NASDAQ:FMAO) last announced its earnings results on Monday, October 27th. The financial services provider reported $0.64 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.59 by $0.05. Farmers & Merchants Bancorp had a net margin of 17.03% and a return on equity of 9.16%. The company had revenue of $31.26 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $26.35 million. On average, research analysts predict that Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Inc. will post 1.82 earnings per share for the current year.

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, January 20th. Stockholders of record on Monday, December 29th will be paid a $0.23 dividend. This is an increase from Farmers & Merchants Bancorp’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.23. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, December 29th. This represents a $0.92 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.6%. Farmers & Merchants Bancorp’s payout ratio is 39.66%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Farmers & Merchants Bancorp

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Goelzer Investment Management Inc. raised its holdings in Farmers & Merchants Bancorp by 1,659.8% during the 4th quarter. Goelzer Investment Management Inc. now owns 485,064 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $11,991,000 after purchasing an additional 457,500 shares during the last quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. acquired a new stake in shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $616,000. TrueMark Investments LLC bought a new stake in shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp during the third quarter worth approximately $559,000. Jane Street Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp during the first quarter worth approximately $380,000. Finally, Los Angeles Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in Farmers & Merchants Bancorp in the second quarter valued at approximately $367,000. Institutional investors own 23.96% of the company’s stock.

About Farmers & Merchants Bancorp

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.