First Community Bancshares (NASDAQ:FCBC) Share Price Passes Above Two Hundred Day Moving Average – Should You Sell?

First Community Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:FCBC) shares crossed above its two hundred day moving average during trading on Wednesday . The stock has a two hundred day moving average of $44.27 and traded as high as $47.85. First Community Bancshares shares last traded at $46.92, with a volume of 94,370 shares traded.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Zacks Research raised First Community Bancshares to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 1st. Raymond James Financial assumed coverage on First Community Bancshares in a research report on Tuesday, June 30th. They issued a “market perform” rating for the company. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised First Community Bancshares from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 11th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, First Community Bancshares has a consensus rating of “Hold”.

First Community Bancshares Trading Down 0.0%

The stock has a market capitalization of $884.23 million, a PE ratio of 14.72 and a beta of 0.47. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $47.74 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $44.32.

First Community Bancshares (NASDAQ:FCBC) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, July 21st. The bank reported $0.76 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.74 by $0.02. First Community Bancshares had a return on equity of 10.67% and a net margin of 28.84%.The company had revenue of $81.71 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $51.20 million. As a group, research analysts expect that First Community Bancshares, Inc. will post 3.04 earnings per share for the current year.

First Community Bancshares Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 21st. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 7th were given a dividend of $0.33 per share. This represents a $1.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.8%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, August 7th. This is a boost from First Community Bancshares’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.31. First Community Bancshares’s dividend payout ratio is 41.64%.

Insider Transactions at First Community Bancshares

In other news, SVP Sarah W. Harmon sold 4,329 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $49.21, for a total value of $213,030.09. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 8,141 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $400,618.61. This represents a 34.72% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, President Gary Mills sold 3,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, July 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $47.67, for a total transaction of $166,845.00. Following the sale, the president owned 5,798 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $276,390.66. This represents a 37.64% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 3.66% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On First Community Bancshares

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of FCBC. Global Retirement Partners LLC bought a new stake in First Community Bancshares during the second quarter valued at about $25,000. Eurizon Capital SGR S.p.A. bought a new position in shares of First Community Bancshares in the fourth quarter worth about $89,000. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. acquired a new position in shares of First Community Bancshares during the 2nd quarter worth about $115,000. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company bought a new stake in First Community Bancshares during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $203,000. Finally, Arizona State Retirement System bought a new stake in First Community Bancshares during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $210,000. 34.95% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About First Community Bancshares

First Community Bancshares, Inc is a bank holding company headquartered in Bluefield, Virginia. Its principal subsidiary, First Community Bank, provides financial services to individuals, businesses, nonprofit organizations and public-sector customers through a community banking model.

The bank offers deposit products, consumer and commercial lending, residential mortgage loans, online and mobile banking, treasury management and other traditional banking services. It also provides investment, trust, wealth management and insurance services through affiliated or related business lines.

First Community Bank serves communities across Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina and Tennessee through a network of branches and offices.