Man Group plc Makes New $535,000 Investment in Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Inc. $FMAO

Man Group plc purchased a new position in Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Inc. (NASDAQ:FMAO) during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund purchased 17,480 shares of the financial services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $535,000. Man Group plc owned 0.13% of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Versant Capital Management Inc raised its stake in shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp by 72.2% in the second quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 813 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 341 shares during the period. Ancora Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Farmers & Merchants Bancorp during the third quarter valued at about $921,000. Royal Bank of Canada boosted its position in 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 worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 643 shares during the period. Legal & General Group Plc purchased a new position in shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp in the second quarter worth about $40,000. Finally, CANADA LIFE ASSURANCE Co bought a new stake in shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $34,000. 23.96% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

FMAO has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Zacks Research raised shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. Wall Street Zen upgraded Farmers & Merchants Bancorp from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, August 1st. Weiss Ratings upgraded Farmers & Merchants Bancorp from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a research note on Thursday, June 18th. Finally, Piper Sandler reiterated a “neutral” rating and set a $36.00 price target (up from $32.00) on shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, one has given a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $32.25.

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Trading Up 1.8%

Shares of FMAO stock opened at $35.19 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.44, a quick ratio of 0.96 and a current ratio of 0.96. Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Inc. has a 52-week low of $22.77 and a 52-week high of $35.94. The company has a market capitalization of $484.57 million, a PE ratio of 12.09 and a beta of 0.80. The business’s fifty day moving average is $32.66 and its 200 day moving average is $28.96.

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp (NASDAQ:FMAO) last posted its earnings results on Monday, July 27th. The financial services provider reported $0.86 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.67 by $0.19. Farmers & Merchants Bancorp had a return on equity of 10.72% and a net margin of 20.27%.The business had revenue of $34.35 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $33.05 million. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Inc. will post 3.05 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, July 20th. Investors of record on Friday, July 10th were paid a $0.23 dividend. This represents a $0.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, July 10th. Farmers & Merchants Bancorp’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 31.62%.

Insider Activity at Farmers & Merchants Bancorp

In other news, EVP David R. Gerken sold 1,000 shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $33.72, for a total transaction of $33,720.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 6,509 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $219,483.48. The trade was a 13.32% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director Andrew Briggs sold 2,402 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $35.05, for a total value of $84,190.10. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 49,148 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,722,637.40. This represents a 4.66% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 76,227 shares of company stock valued at $2,387,122. 7.30% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

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.