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

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Inc. (NASDAQ:FMAO) Director Andrew Briggs sold 3,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, August 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $34.08, for a total value of $102,240.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 69,550 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,370,264. This trade represents a 4.14% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink.

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Price Performance

NASDAQ:FMAO opened at $34.92 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.96, a current ratio of 0.96 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.44. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $30.42 and its 200 day moving average price is $27.98. Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Inc. has a 52-week low of $22.77 and a 52-week high of $35.94. The firm has a market cap of $480.85 million, a P/E ratio of 12.00 and a beta of 0.80.

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp (NASDAQ:FMAO) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Monday, July 27th. The financial services provider reported $0.86 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.67 by $0.19. The company had revenue of $34.35 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $33.05 million. Farmers & Merchants Bancorp had a net margin of 20.27% and a return on equity of 10.72%. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Inc. will post 3.05 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, July 20th. Investors of record on Friday, July 10th were issued a dividend of $0.23 per share. This represents a $0.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.6%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, July 10th. Farmers & Merchants Bancorp’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 31.62%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have recently commented on FMAO shares. Weiss Ratings upgraded Farmers & Merchants Bancorp from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a research report on Thursday, June 18th. Hovde Group cut their target price on Farmers & Merchants Bancorp from $30.00 to $28.50 and set a “market perform” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, April 24th. Piper Sandler reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and set a $36.00 target price (up from $32.00) on shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. Wall Street Zen upgraded Farmers & Merchants Bancorp from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, August 1st. Finally, Zacks Research raised Farmers & Merchants Bancorp from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 29th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, one has given a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $32.25.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Farmers & Merchants Bancorp

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Versant Capital Management Inc increased its holdings in shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp by 72.2% in the 2nd quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 813 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 341 shares during the period. Ancora Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp in the third quarter worth approximately $921,000. Royal Bank of Canada boosted its holdings in shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp by 124.6% during the fourth quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 1,159 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 643 shares during the period. CANADA LIFE ASSURANCE Co acquired a new stake in shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp during the fourth quarter worth approximately $34,000. Finally, BNP Paribas Financial Markets increased its stake in Farmers & Merchants Bancorp by 36.0% in the 2nd quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 1,924 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $49,000 after buying an additional 509 shares during the period. 23.96% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.