Gardner Lewis Asset Management L P Has $12.62 Million Stock Holdings in The First Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:FBMS)

Gardner Lewis Asset Management L P raised its stake in shares of The First Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:FBMS) by 346.5% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 360,555 shares of the bank’s stock after buying an additional 279,812 shares during the period. First Bancshares comprises approximately 3.1% of Gardner Lewis Asset Management L P’s holdings, making the stock its 9th largest position. Gardner Lewis Asset Management L P’s holdings in First Bancshares were worth $12,619,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. LPL Financial LLC grew its position in First Bancshares by 2.7% during the fourth quarter. LPL Financial LLC now owns 19,518 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $683,000 after buying an additional 521 shares during the period. Vestcor Inc bought a new stake in shares of First Bancshares during the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. FMR LLC grew its holdings in First Bancshares by 50.8% during the third quarter. FMR LLC now owns 3,194 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $103,000 after purchasing an additional 1,076 shares during the period. Centiva Capital LP lifted its position in shares of First Bancshares by 17.8% during the 3rd quarter. Centiva Capital LP now owns 9,767 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $314,000 after buying an additional 1,476 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Principal Financial Group Inc. raised its stake in First Bancshares by 10.0% during the 4th quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 28,944 shares of the bank’s stock worth $1,013,000 after acquiring an additional 2,624 shares during the period. 69.95% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

First Bancshares Price Performance

FBMS stock opened at $35.06 on Friday. The First Bancshares, Inc. has a 52 week low of $22.96 and a 52 week high of $39.21. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.10 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.37 and a beta of 0.92. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $36.10 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $34.98. The company has a quick ratio of 0.84, a current ratio of 0.84 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33.

First Bancshares Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, February 26th. Investors of record on Monday, February 10th were issued a $0.25 dividend. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.85%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, February 10th. First Bancshares’s payout ratio is 40.98%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on the company. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods increased their price target on First Bancshares from $40.00 to $45.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 4th. StockNews.com initiated coverage on First Bancshares in a research note on Friday, March 21st. They set a “sell” rating for the company.

First Bancshares Company Profile

The First Bancshares, Inc operates as the bank holding company for The First Bank that provides general commercial and retail banking services. The company operates through three segments: Commercial/Retail Bank, Mortgage Banking Division, and Holding Company. It offers deposit services, including checking, NOW, and savings accounts; other time deposits, such as daily money market accounts and longer-term certificates of deposit; and individual retirement and health savings accounts.