Andrew Briggs Sells 3,000 Shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp (NASDAQ:FMAO) Stock

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Inc. (NASDAQ:FMAO) Director Andrew Briggs sold 3,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, June 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $28.63, for a total transaction of $85,890.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 174,550 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,997,366.50. This represents a 1.69% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website.

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Stock Performance

FMAO stock opened at $28.84 on Friday. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $27.48 and a two-hundred day moving average of $26.57. Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Inc. has a 12 month low of $22.77 and a 12 month high of $29.83. The company has a market capitalization of $397.13 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.05 and a beta of 0.82. The company has a quick ratio of 0.98, a current ratio of 0.98 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.58.

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp (NASDAQ:FMAO) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, April 22nd. The financial services provider reported $0.70 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.68 by $0.02. The firm had revenue of $32.44 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $32.54 million. Farmers & Merchants Bancorp had a net margin of 18.54% and a return on equity of 9.85%. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Inc. will post 2.83 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, April 20th. Investors of record on Friday, April 3rd were given a dividend of $0.23 per share. This represents a $0.92 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.2%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, April 2nd. Farmers & Merchants Bancorp’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 35.25%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Farmers & Merchants Bancorp

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Goelzer Investment Management Inc. increased its stake in shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp by 1,659.8% in the 4th quarter. Goelzer Investment Management Inc. now owns 485,064 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $11,991,000 after acquiring an additional 457,500 shares during the last quarter. Align Financial LLC bought a new position in Farmers & Merchants Bancorp during the 4th quarter worth approximately $6,844,000. Rhino Investment Partners Inc bought a new position in Farmers & Merchants Bancorp during the 1st quarter worth approximately $1,765,000. Segall Bryant & Hamill LLC acquired a new position in Farmers & Merchants Bancorp during the first quarter valued at approximately $1,319,000. Finally, Jane Street Group LLC grew its holdings in Farmers & Merchants Bancorp by 186.8% during the fourth quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 15,762 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $390,000 after purchasing an additional 33,916 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 23.96% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts have weighed in on FMAO shares. Piper Sandler reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and set a $28.50 price objective (up from $28.00) on shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp in a research note on Monday, April 27th. Weiss Ratings downgraded Farmers & Merchants Bancorp from a “buy (b)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Tuesday, June 2nd. Finally, Hovde Group decreased their price target on Farmers & Merchants Bancorp from $30.00 to $28.50 and set a “market perform” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, April 24th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $28.50.

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.