Farmers & Merchants Bancorp (NASDAQ:FMAO) Releases Earnings Results, Beats Expectations By $0.04 EPS

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp (NASDAQ:FMAO) issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday. The financial services provider reported $0.71 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.67 by $0.04, FiscalAI reports. The business had revenue of $32.45 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $27.30 million. Farmers & Merchants Bancorp had a return on equity of 9.16% and a net margin of 17.03%.

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ FMAO traded down $0.27 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $27.49. 2,036 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 29,779. The company has a market capitalization of $377.92 million, a P/E ratio of 11.85 and a beta of 0.84. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $26.18 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $25.41. Farmers & Merchants Bancorp has a 52-week low of $20.88 and a 52-week high of $28.88. The company has a quick ratio of 0.97, a current ratio of 0.97 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.52.

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, January 20th. Stockholders of record on Monday, December 29th were given a dividend of $0.23 per share. This is a boost from Farmers & Merchants Bancorp’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.23. The ex-dividend date was Monday, December 29th. This represents a $0.92 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.3%. Farmers & Merchants Bancorp’s dividend payout ratio is currently 39.66%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

FMAO has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Zacks Research downgraded shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, December 30th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating, Based on data from MarketBeat, Farmers & Merchants Bancorp presently has a consensus rating of “Hold”.

Institutional Trading of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Wells Fargo & Company MN grew its holdings in shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp by 43.9% in the fourth quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN now owns 21,316 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $527,000 after purchasing an additional 6,500 shares during the last quarter. Jane Street Group LLC increased its position in shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp by 186.8% in the fourth quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 15,762 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $390,000 after acquiring an additional 33,916 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP raised its stake in shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp by 6.3% during the fourth quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 214,561 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $5,304,000 after acquiring an additional 12,677 shares during the last quarter. Integrated Quantitative Investments LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp during the fourth quarter worth about $207,000. Finally, Goldman Sachs Group Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp by 24.0% during the fourth quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 19,184 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $474,000 after purchasing an additional 3,712 shares during the period. 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.