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

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Inc. (NASDAQ:FMAO) Director Andrew Briggs sold 3,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $34.76, for a total value of $104,280.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 75,550 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,626,118. The trade was a 3.82% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website.

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Stock Down 1.8%

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp stock traded down $0.61 during trading on Wednesday, reaching $34.16. The stock had a trading volume of 62,669 shares, compared to its average volume of 65,405. The stock has a market cap of $470.49 million, a PE ratio of 11.74 and a beta of 0.80. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $30.15 and a 200 day moving average price of $27.86. Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Inc. has a 52-week low of $22.77 and a 52-week high of $35.94. The company has a quick ratio of 0.96, a current ratio of 0.96 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.44.

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp (NASDAQ:FMAO) last posted its earnings results on Monday, July 27th. The financial services provider reported $0.86 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.67 by $0.19. The firm had revenue of $34.35 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $33.05 million. Farmers & Merchants Bancorp had a return on equity of 10.72% and a net margin of 20.27%. On average, analysts predict that Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Inc. will post 3.05 EPS for the current year.

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, July 20th. Stockholders of record on Friday, July 10th were given a dividend of $0.23 per share. This represents a $0.92 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.7%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, July 10th. Farmers & Merchants Bancorp’s payout ratio is currently 31.62%.

Institutional Trading of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of FMAO. Rhino Investment Partners Inc purchased a new stake in shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp in the first quarter valued at $1,765,000. Legato Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in Farmers & Merchants Bancorp during the 4th quarter worth approximately $207,000. Trexquant Investment LP purchased a new position in shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp in the 4th quarter valued at $219,000. Franklin Resources Inc. purchased a new position in Farmers & Merchants Bancorp in the second quarter valued at about $210,000. Finally, Integrated Quantitative Investments LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp during the 4th quarter valued at about $207,000. 23.96% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

FMAO has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Wall Street Zen raised Farmers & Merchants Bancorp from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a report on Thursday, June 18th. Zacks Research raised Farmers & Merchants Bancorp from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. 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 note on Friday, April 24th. Finally, Piper Sandler restated a “neutral” rating and set a $36.00 target price (up from $32.00) on shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, one has assigned a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $32.25.

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.