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 stock in a transaction on Monday, August 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $34.54, for a total value of $103,620.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 66,550 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,298,637. The trade was a 4.31% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink.

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ FMAO opened at $35.14 on Thursday. The company’s fifty day moving average is $30.86 and its two-hundred day moving average is $28.18. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.44, a quick ratio of 0.96 and a current ratio of 0.96. The firm has a market capitalization of $483.88 million, a P/E ratio of 12.08 and a beta of 0.80. Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Inc. has a one year low of $22.77 and a one year high of $35.94.

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp (NASDAQ:FMAO) last released its quarterly earnings data on Monday, July 27th. The financial services provider reported $0.86 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 10.72%. The firm had revenue of $34.35 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $33.05 million. Analysts forecast that Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Inc. will post 3.05 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, July 20th. Shareholders of record on Friday, July 10th were given 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 payout ratio is presently 31.62%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

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

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Farmers & Merchants Bancorp

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Jane Street Group LLC purchased a new position in Farmers & Merchants Bancorp during the first quarter worth approximately $380,000. Franklin Resources Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp during the 2nd quarter worth $210,000. Bridgeway Capital Management LLC raised its position in shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp by 2.1% in the 2nd quarter. Bridgeway Capital Management LLC now owns 19,257 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $487,000 after buying an additional 401 shares during the period. BNP Paribas Financial Markets boosted its holdings in Farmers & Merchants Bancorp by 36.0% in the second quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 1,924 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $49,000 after acquiring an additional 509 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Tower Research Capital LLC TRC grew its position in Farmers & Merchants Bancorp by 948.7% during the second quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 4,436 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $112,000 after acquiring an additional 4,013 shares during the period. 23.96% of the stock is 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.