First Community Bancshares (NASDAQ:FCBC) Reaches New 12-Month High – Should You Buy?

First Community Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:FCBC)’s share price hit a new 52-week high during trading on Tuesday . The stock traded as high as $48.89 and last traded at $48.17, with a volume of 101675 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $48.48.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts recently weighed in on FCBC shares. Zacks Research raised shares of First Community Bancshares to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 1st. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of First Community Bancshares in a research report on Thursday, June 18th. Finally, Raymond James Financial began coverage on shares of First Community Bancshares in a report on Tuesday, June 30th. They issued a “market perform” rating for the company. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, First Community Bancshares has an average rating of “Hold”.

First Community Bancshares Trading Down 1.6%

The firm has a market cap of $898.97 million, a P/E ratio of 15.03 and a beta of 0.48. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $44.26 and a 200-day simple moving average of $41.52.

First Community Bancshares (NASDAQ:FCBC) last announced its quarterly 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. The business had revenue of $92.09 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $51.20 million. First Community Bancshares had a return on equity of 10.82% and a net margin of 28.84%. Research analysts predict that First Community Bancshares, Inc. will post 3.04 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

First Community Bancshares Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 21st. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 7th will be issued a $0.33 dividend. This is a boost from First Community Bancshares’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.31. This represents a $1.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.8%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 7th. First Community Bancshares’s dividend payout ratio is presently 39.12%.

Institutional Trading of First Community Bancshares

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Advisory Services Network LLC purchased a new position in shares of First Community Bancshares in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $26,000. Financial Consulate Inc. purchased a new stake in First Community Bancshares during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $34,000. Aquatic Capital Management LLC lifted its position in First Community Bancshares by 78.0% during the third quarter. Aquatic Capital Management LLC now owns 1,143 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $40,000 after acquiring an additional 501 shares during the last quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. boosted its stake in First Community Bancshares by 1,717.1% in the third quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 1,381 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $48,000 after acquiring an additional 1,305 shares in the last quarter. Finally, BNP Paribas Financial Markets boosted its stake in First Community Bancshares by 56.0% in the second quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 1,608 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $63,000 after acquiring an additional 577 shares in the last quarter. 34.95% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

First Community Bancshares Company Profile

First Community Bancshares, Inc (NASDAQ: FCBC) is a bank holding company headquartered in Mebane, North Carolina, that delivers banking and financial services through its wholly owned subsidiary, First Community Bank. The company’s core focus is on relationship-driven community banking, offering clients a blend of personalized service and competitive digital banking capabilities. It serves a diverse clientele that includes individuals, families, small and mid-sized businesses, nonprofit organizations and professional practices.

The bank provides a broad spectrum of deposit products, such as checking, savings, money market and certificate of deposit accounts, alongside treasury management and payment processing solutions.