Farmers & Merchants Bancorp (NASDAQ:FMAO) Issues Quarterly Earnings Results, Beats Expectations By $0.02 EPS

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp (NASDAQ:FMAO) issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday. The financial services provider reported $0.70 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.68 by $0.02, Zacks reports. The business had revenue of $32.44 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $32.54 million. Farmers & Merchants Bancorp had a return on equity of 9.33% and a net margin of 17.47%.

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ FMAO opened at $26.75 on Thursday. The firm has a market cap of $389.59 million, a PE ratio of 11.05 and a beta of 0.81. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $26.27 and a 200 day moving average of $25.64. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71, a quick ratio of 1.00 and a current ratio of 1.00. Farmers & Merchants Bancorp has a one year low of $22.46 and a one year high of $29.83.

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, April 20th. Investors of record on Friday, April 3rd were issued a $0.23 dividend. This represents a $0.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, April 2nd. Farmers & Merchants Bancorp’s payout ratio is presently 38.02%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts recently commented on the company. Piper Sandler started coverage on Farmers & Merchants Bancorp in a research note on Thursday, April 2nd. They set a “neutral” rating and a $28.00 price objective on the stock. Zacks Research cut Farmers & Merchants Bancorp from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, December 30th. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded Farmers & Merchants Bancorp from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Monday, April 6th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $28.00.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, insider Eric D. Faust sold 1,148 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, March 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $25.16, for a total value of $28,883.68. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 5,538 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $139,336.08. The trade was a 17.17% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Insiders own 7.30% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Farmers & Merchants Bancorp

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Royal Bank of Canada boosted its stake in Farmers & Merchants Bancorp by 124.6% during the 4th quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 1,159 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 643 shares during the last quarter. CANADA LIFE ASSURANCE Co acquired a new stake in Farmers & Merchants Bancorp during the 4th quarter worth $34,000. BNP Paribas Financial Markets boosted its stake in Farmers & Merchants Bancorp by 36.0% during the 2nd quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 1,924 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $49,000 after purchasing an additional 509 shares during the last quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC boosted its stake in Farmers & Merchants Bancorp by 948.7% during the 2nd quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 4,436 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $112,000 after purchasing an additional 4,013 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Integrated Quantitative Investments LLC acquired a new stake in Farmers & Merchants Bancorp during the 4th quarter worth $207,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 23.96% of the company’s stock.

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.