First Guaranty Bancshares, Inc. Declares Quarterly Dividend of $0.01 (NASDAQ:FGBI)

First Guaranty Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:FGBI) declared a quarterly dividend on Thursday, February 19th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 27th will be paid a dividend of 0.01 per share by the bank on Tuesday, March 31st. This represents a c) annualized dividend and a yield of 0.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 27th.

First Guaranty Bancshares has decreased its dividend payment by an average of 0.1%annually over the last three years. First Guaranty Bancshares has a dividend payout ratio of 4.4% meaning its dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings. Equities research analysts expect First Guaranty Bancshares to earn $1.22 per share next year, which means the company should continue to be able to cover its $0.04 annual dividend with an expected future payout ratio of 3.3%.

First Guaranty Bancshares Price Performance

First Guaranty Bancshares stock opened at $8.47 on Wednesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $130.01 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -2.05 and a beta of 0.31. First Guaranty Bancshares has a 52-week low of $4.31 and a 52-week high of $10.55. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $8.66 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $7.37. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.99, a quick ratio of 0.88 and a current ratio of 0.88.

Insider Transactions at First Guaranty Bancshares

In related news, Director Edgar R. Smith III acquired 208,996 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, December 31st. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $5.40 per share, with a total value of $1,128,578.40. Following the completion of the purchase, the director directly owned 537,266 shares in the company, valued at $2,901,236.40. This trade represents a 63.67% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director Marshall T. Reynolds bought 46,297 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, December 31st. The stock was bought at an average price of $5.40 per share, for a total transaction of $250,003.80. Following the acquisition, the director directly owned 1,993,821 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $10,766,633.40. This represents a 2.38% increase in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Insiders purchased a total of 347,893 shares of company stock valued at $1,878,622 over the last ninety days. 47.20% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On First Guaranty Bancshares

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Barclays PLC boosted its holdings in First Guaranty Bancshares by 135.6% during the 4th quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 11,478 shares of the bank’s stock worth $62,000 after acquiring an additional 6,606 shares during the last quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC raised its holdings in shares of First Guaranty Bancshares by 60.1% in the fourth quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 28,347 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $152,000 after purchasing an additional 10,641 shares during the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC raised its holdings in shares of First Guaranty Bancshares by 8.8% in the first quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 46,048 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $355,000 after purchasing an additional 3,742 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Acadian Asset Management LLC lifted its position in shares of First Guaranty Bancshares by 11.1% during the first quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC now owns 49,565 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $379,000 after purchasing an additional 4,956 shares in the last quarter. 39.52% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

About First Guaranty Bancshares

First Guaranty Bancshares, Inc is a financial holding company headquartered in Hammond, Louisiana. Through its principal subsidiary, First Guaranty Bank, the company provides a diversified range of commercial and retail banking services. Founded in 1932, First Guaranty Bancshares has grown from a community mutual bank into a publicly traded institution listed on the Nasdaq under the ticker FGBI.

The company’s core business activities encompass traditional deposit products and lending solutions.