First Community Bancshares (NASDAQ:FCBC) Stock Crosses Above 200-Day Moving Average – Should You Sell?

First Community Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:FCBC) shares passed above its two hundred day moving average during trading on Friday. The stock has a two hundred day moving average of $45.12 and traded as high as $47.75. First Community Bancshares shares last traded at $47.34, with a volume of 143,201 shares trading hands.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts recently issued reports on FCBC shares. Weiss Ratings cut First Community Bancshares from a “buy (b)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research note on Friday, October 2nd. Zacks Research upgraded First Community Bancshares to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 1st. Finally, Raymond James Financial initiated coverage on First Community Bancshares in a research note on Tuesday, June 30th. They issued a “market perform” rating for the company. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold”.

First Community Bancshares Price Performance

The firm has a market cap of $895.20 million, a PE ratio of 14.93 and a beta of 0.49. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $48.15 and a 200-day simple moving average of $45.12.

First Community Bancshares (NASDAQ:FCBC) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 21st. The bank reported $0.76 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.74 by $0.02. First Community Bancshares had a net margin of 28.84% and a return on equity of 10.67%. The business had revenue of $81.71 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $51.20 million. On average, sell-side analysts predict that First Community Bancshares, Inc. will post 3.04 EPS for the current fiscal year.

First Community Bancshares Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared 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 of this dividend was Friday, August 7th. This is a positive change from First Community Bancshares’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.31. First Community Bancshares’s dividend payout ratio is currently 41.64%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, President Gary R. Mills sold 3,500 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, July 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $47.67, for a total value of $166,845.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the president directly owned 5,798 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $276,390.66. This represents a 37.64% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, SVP Sarah W. Harmon sold 4,329 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $49.21, for a total value of $213,030.09. Following the completion of the transaction, 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 position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Company insiders own 3.66% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On First Community Bancshares

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in FCBC. BlackRock Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of First Community Bancshares during the second quarter valued at approximately $68,713,000. Renaissance Technologies LLC grew its stake in shares of First Community Bancshares by 81.0% in the first quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 55,188 shares of the bank’s stock worth $2,291,000 after acquiring an additional 24,694 shares during the period. Bank of New York Mellon Corp bought a new position in First Community Bancshares during the second quarter valued at approximately $2,320,000. Bank of America Corp DE boosted its holdings in First Community Bancshares by 81.5% in the first quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 38,645 shares of the bank’s stock worth $1,605,000 after purchasing an additional 17,355 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Hsbc Holdings PLC raised its stake in First Community Bancshares by 1.2% during the 4th quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC now owns 35,959 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $1,205,000 after buying an additional 418 shares during the last quarter. 34.95% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

First Community Bancshares Company Profile

First Community Bancshares, Inc is a bank holding company headquartered in Bluefield, Virginia. Through its subsidiary, First Community Bank, the company provides community banking services to individuals, businesses, nonprofit organizations and local governments.

First Community Bank offers consumer and commercial deposit accounts, residential mortgages, commercial and industrial loans, real estate financing, agricultural lending and other credit products. Its services also include online and mobile banking, treasury management, wealth management, trust and investment services, and insurance-related offerings.

Founded in 1874, First Community has developed a regional banking presence in communities across Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina and Tennessee.