National Bankshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:NKSH) Short Interest Update

National Bankshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:NKSH) saw a significant decrease in short interest in the month of December. As of December 31st, there was short interest totaling 74,083 shares, a decrease of 20.6% from the December 15th total of 93,308 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 14,414 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 5.1 days. Approximately 1.2% of the company’s shares are short sold. Approximately 1.2% of the company’s shares are short sold. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 14,414 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 5.1 days.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On National Bankshares

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC bought a new position in National Bankshares during the second quarter valued at approximately $224,000. Fourthstone LLC lifted its position in shares of National Bankshares by 477.0% during the 2nd quarter. Fourthstone LLC now owns 84,006 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $2,285,000 after buying an additional 69,447 shares in the last quarter. Police & Firemen s Retirement System of New Jersey purchased a new position in shares of National Bankshares during the 2nd quarter valued at $35,000. Kingsview Wealth Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of National Bankshares by 4.6% in the second quarter. Kingsview Wealth Management LLC now owns 9,145 shares of the bank’s stock worth $249,000 after acquiring an additional 398 shares during the period. Finally, Partners in Financial Planning raised its position in shares of National Bankshares by 9.8% during the second quarter. Partners in Financial Planning now owns 16,011 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $435,000 after buying an additional 1,431 shares during the last quarter. 29.73% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on NKSH shares. Wall Street Zen upgraded National Bankshares to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, December 20th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of National Bankshares in a report on Monday, December 29th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Hold rating, Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold”.

National Bankshares Trading Down 1.7%

Shares of NKSH traded down $0.60 during trading hours on Tuesday, reaching $33.72. 7,074 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 14,066. The company has a market cap of $214.66 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.53 and a beta of 0.72. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $31.97 and a 200 day simple moving average of $30.31. National Bankshares has a 52 week low of $23.75 and a 52 week high of $35.00.

National Bankshares (NASDAQ:NKSH) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 23rd. The bank reported $0.69 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.66 by $0.03. National Bankshares had a net margin of 15.56% and a return on equity of 8.62%. The company had revenue of $14.21 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $13.87 million. Analysts predict that National Bankshares will post 2.35 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

National Bankshares Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 1st. Stockholders of record on Monday, November 24th were given a $0.78 dividend. This represents a dividend yield of 536.0%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, November 24th. National Bankshares’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 76.47%.

National Bankshares Company Profile

National Bankshares, Inc is a Virginia-based bank holding company headquartered in Reston. Through its primary subsidiaries, National Bank of Blacksburg and The Bank of Giles and Montgomery, the company offers a full suite of community banking services to individuals, small businesses and nonprofit organizations.

The company’s core activities include deposit-taking, consumer and commercial lending, mortgage origination and servicing, trust and wealth management, and electronic banking platforms.