Farmers & Merchants Bancorp (NASDAQ:FMAO) Now Covered by Piper Sandler

Piper Sandler assumed coverage on shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp (NASDAQ:FMAO) in a report published on Thursday, Marketbeat reports. The firm issued a neutral rating and a $28.00 price target on the financial services provider’s stock.

A number of other research analysts have also recently issued reports on the stock. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Zacks Research cut shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, December 30th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating, According to data from MarketBeat.com, Farmers & Merchants Bancorp presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $28.00.

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Price Performance

Shares of FMAO stock opened at $25.88 on Thursday. The business’s fifty day moving average is $26.39 and its 200 day moving average is $25.55. The company has a quick ratio of 1.00, a current ratio of 1.00 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71. The stock has a market cap of $376.81 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.69 and a beta of 0.81. Farmers & Merchants Bancorp has a twelve month low of $20.88 and a twelve month high of $29.83.

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp (NASDAQ:FMAO) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 12th. The financial services provider reported $0.71 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.67 by $0.04. 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 9.33% and a net margin of 17.47%. Research analysts expect that Farmers & Merchants Bancorp will post 1.82 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, April 20th. Stockholders of record on Friday, April 3rd will be paid a $0.23 dividend. This represents a $0.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, April 2nd. Farmers & Merchants Bancorp’s dividend payout ratio is currently 38.02%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Farmers & Merchants Bancorp

In other news, insider Eric D. Faust sold 1,148 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, March 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $25.16, for a total transaction of $28,883.68. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 5,538 shares in the company, valued at $139,336.08. This trade represents a 17.17% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 7.30% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Jane Street Group LLC purchased a new position in Farmers & Merchants Bancorp in the first quarter worth about $380,000. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp by 1.5% during the second quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 299,470 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $7,572,000 after buying an additional 4,527 shares during the last quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp during the second quarter valued at approximately $210,000. Bridgeway Capital Management LLC increased its position in shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp by 2.1% during the second quarter. Bridgeway Capital Management LLC now owns 19,257 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $487,000 after acquiring an additional 401 shares in the last quarter. Finally, BNP Paribas Financial Markets increased its position in shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp by 36.0% during 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 in the last quarter. 23.96% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.