Insider Selling: Farmers & Merchants Bancorp (NASDAQ:FMAO) Director Sells 3,000 Shares of 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 Friday, August 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $35.38, for a total value of $106,140.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 54,550 shares in the company, valued at $1,929,979. This represents a 5.21% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website.

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Stock Performance

Shares of FMAO traded down $0.09 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $35.24. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 24,699 shares, compared to its average volume of 67,061. The company has a current ratio of 0.96, a quick ratio of 0.96 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.44. Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Inc. has a 1-year low of $22.77 and a 1-year high of $35.94. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $31.01 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $28.24. The stock has a market cap of $485.32 million, a P/E ratio of 12.11 and a beta of 0.80.

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp (NASDAQ:FMAO) last posted its earnings results on Monday, July 27th. The financial services provider reported $0.86 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.67 by $0.19. Farmers & Merchants Bancorp had a return on equity of 10.72% and a net margin of 20.27%.The business had revenue of $34.35 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $33.05 million. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Inc. will post 3.05 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, July 20th. Shareholders of record on Friday, July 10th were issued a $0.23 dividend. This represents a $0.92 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.6%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, July 10th. Farmers & Merchants Bancorp’s payout ratio is currently 31.62%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

FMAO has been the subject of several research analyst reports. 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. Hovde Group cut their price objective on shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp from $30.00 to $28.50 and set a “market perform” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, April 24th. Zacks Research upgraded Farmers & Merchants Bancorp from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. Piper Sandler reiterated a “neutral” rating and set a $36.00 target price (up from $32.00) on shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp in a research note on Wednesday, July 29th. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised Farmers & Merchants Bancorp from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, August 1st. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, one has given a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Farmers & Merchants Bancorp presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $32.25.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Farmers & Merchants Bancorp

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Rhino Investment Partners Inc acquired a new stake in Farmers & Merchants Bancorp in the 1st quarter worth about $1,765,000. Segall Bryant & Hamill LLC bought a new position in shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp during the first quarter worth approximately $1,319,000. Quantinno Capital Management LP increased its holdings in shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp by 37.0% during the first quarter. Quantinno Capital Management LP now owns 38,041 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $977,000 after purchasing an additional 10,279 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP raised its position in shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp by 5.8% in the first quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 226,917 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $5,825,000 after buying an additional 12,356 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Globeflex Capital L P bought a new stake in shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp in the second quarter valued at approximately $181,000. 23.96% of the stock is owned by 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.