Insider Selling: Farmers & Merchants Bancorp (NASDAQ:FMAO) Director Sells $82,920.00 in Stock

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Inc. (NASDAQ:FMAO) Director Andrew Briggs sold 3,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, June 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $27.64, for a total value of $82,920.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 213,085 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,889,669.40. This trade represents a 1.39% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link.

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Price Performance

FMAO opened at $28.09 on Friday. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $26.96 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $26.29. The company has a current ratio of 0.98, a quick ratio of 0.98 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.58. The company has a market cap of $386.80 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.76 and a beta of 0.82. Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Inc. has a 12-month low of $22.77 and a 12-month high of $29.83.

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp (NASDAQ:FMAO) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 22nd. The financial services provider reported $0.70 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.68 by $0.02. The business had revenue of $32.44 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $32.54 million. Farmers & Merchants Bancorp had a return on equity of 9.85% and a net margin of 18.54%. Research analysts predict that Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Inc. will post 2.83 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, April 20th. Shareholders of record on Friday, April 3rd were issued a $0.23 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, April 2nd. This represents a $0.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.3%. Farmers & Merchants Bancorp’s dividend payout ratio is 35.25%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Farmers & Merchants Bancorp

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of FMAO. Royal Bank of Canada increased its holdings in shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp by 124.6% during the fourth quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 1,159 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $28,000 after acquiring an additional 643 shares in the last quarter. CANADA LIFE ASSURANCE Co bought a new position in shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp during the fourth quarter valued at $34,000. BNP Paribas Financial Markets increased its holdings in shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp by 36.0% during the second quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 1,924 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $49,000 after acquiring an additional 509 shares in the last quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC increased its holdings in shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp by 948.7% during the second quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 4,436 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $112,000 after acquiring an additional 4,013 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Globeflex Capital L P bought a new position in shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp during the first quarter valued at $152,000. 23.96% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

FMAO has been the subject of a number of research reports. Weiss Ratings downgraded Farmers & Merchants Bancorp from a “buy (b)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Tuesday. Hovde Group reduced their price target on Farmers & Merchants Bancorp from $30.00 to $28.50 and set a “market perform” rating for the company in a report on Friday, April 24th. Finally, Piper Sandler restated a “neutral” rating and set a $28.50 price target (up from $28.00) on shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp in a report on Monday, April 27th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $28.50.

About Farmers & Merchants Bancorp

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.