Middlefield Banc (NASDAQ:MBCN) Stock Crosses Below 50 Day Moving Average – Time to Sell?

Middlefield Banc Corp. (NASDAQ:MBCN) shares passed below its fifty day moving average during trading on Thursday . The stock has a fifty day moving average of $35.13 and traded as low as $32.50. Middlefield Banc shares last traded at $33.23, with a volume of 11,600 shares trading hands.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts have commented on the stock. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods restated a “market perform” rating and issued a $35.00 price objective (up from $32.00) on shares of Middlefield Banc in a report on Thursday, October 23rd. Zacks Research upgraded Middlefield Banc from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 20th. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Middlefield Banc in a research report on Monday, December 29th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $35.00.

Middlefield Banc Stock Up 0.9%

The company has a quick ratio of 0.99, a current ratio of 0.99 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.05. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $35.13 and its 200-day moving average price is $32.15. The stock has a market capitalization of $268.83 million, a PE ratio of 12.73 and a beta of 0.40.

Middlefield Banc Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 12th. Stockholders of record on Friday, November 28th were issued a dividend of $0.21 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, November 28th. This represents a $0.84 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.5%. Middlefield Banc’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 32.18%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Middlefield Banc

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of MBCN. Alliancebernstein L.P. increased its stake in Middlefield Banc by 9.9% during the 3rd quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 197,516 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $5,927,000 after purchasing an additional 17,804 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Middlefield Banc by 2.0% during the second quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 171,134 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $5,154,000 after buying an additional 3,308 shares during the last quarter. Elizabeth Park Capital Advisors Ltd. increased its position in shares of Middlefield Banc by 11.8% during the third quarter. Elizabeth Park Capital Advisors Ltd. now owns 96,497 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $2,896,000 after acquiring an additional 10,190 shares in the last quarter. Bridgeway Capital Management LLC increased its position in shares of Middlefield Banc by 3.7% during the third quarter. Bridgeway Capital Management LLC now owns 50,422 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $1,513,000 after acquiring an additional 1,819 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Fisher Asset Management LLC purchased a new position in Middlefield Banc in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $1,056,000. Institutional investors own 31.72% of the company’s stock.

Middlefield Banc Company Profile

Middlefield Banc is a bank holding company headquartered in Middlefield, Ohio, operating through its subsidiary, Middlefield Banking Company. The firm offers a suite of deposit products, including checking, savings, money market accounts and certificates of deposit, alongside comprehensive cash management solutions designed for both individual consumers and businesses.

On the lending side, Middlefield Banc specializes in commercial and residential real estate loans, consumer installment loans and lines of credit.