Insider Selling: Farmers & Merchants Bancorp (NASDAQ:FMAO) Director Sells $104,820.00 in Stock

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Inc. (NASDAQ:FMAO) Director Andrew Briggs sold 3,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $34.94, for a total transaction of $104,820.00. Following the sale, the director owned 57,550 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,010,797. This represents a 4.95% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link.

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Stock Down 0.6%

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp stock opened at $35.11 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $483.46 million, a PE ratio of 12.07 and a beta of 0.80. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.44, a quick ratio of 0.96 and a current ratio of 0.96. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $31.15 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $28.29. Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Inc. has a twelve month low of $22.77 and a twelve month high of $35.94.

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

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, July 20th. Investors of record on Friday, July 10th were issued a dividend of $0.23 per share. 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 dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 31.62%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have commented on the company. Weiss Ratings upgraded Farmers & Merchants Bancorp from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a research note on Thursday, June 18th. Wall Street Zen raised Farmers & Merchants Bancorp from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, August 1st. Hovde Group reduced their price target on Farmers & Merchants Bancorp from $30.00 to $28.50 and set a “market perform” rating for the company in a report on Friday, April 24th. Piper Sandler reiterated a “neutral” rating and set a $36.00 price target (up from $32.00) on shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. Finally, Zacks Research raised Farmers & Merchants Bancorp from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 29th. One 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 company. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $32.25.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Versant Capital Management Inc boosted its position in Farmers & Merchants Bancorp by 72.2% during the second quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 813 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 341 shares during the period. Royal Bank of Canada raised its position in shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp by 124.6% in the fourth quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 1,159 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 643 shares during the period. CANADA LIFE ASSURANCE Co bought a new position in shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $34,000. Legal & General Group Plc acquired a new stake in shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp in the second quarter worth $40,000. Finally, BNP Paribas Financial Markets lifted its stake in shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp by 36.0% in the second quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 1,924 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $49,000 after buying an additional 509 shares during the last quarter. 23.96% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Company Profile

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.