Short Interest in Ames National Co. (NASDAQ:ATLO) Expands By 9.0%

Ames National Co. (NASDAQ:ATLO) saw a significant growth in short interest in the month of December. As of December 15th, there was short interest totalling 49,700 shares, a growth of 9.0% from the November 30th total of 45,600 shares. Currently, 0.6% of the shares of the company are short sold. Based on an average daily volume of 19,200 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 2.6 days.

Ames National Stock Performance

ATLO stock remained flat at $16.43 during trading on Wednesday. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 42,861 shares, compared to its average volume of 15,701. Ames National has a one year low of $15.69 and a one year high of $22.41. The stock has a market capitalization of $147.74 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.60 and a beta of 0.56. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $17.14 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $18.37.

Ames National Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 14th. Investors of record on Friday, January 31st will be given a $0.20 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, January 31st. This represents a $0.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.87%. Ames National’s dividend payout ratio is presently 80.81%.

Institutional Trading of Ames National

Institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Barclays PLC lifted its stake in Ames National by 299.1% during the third quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 11,418 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $208,000 after purchasing an additional 8,557 shares during the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted its holdings in shares of Ames National by 114.6% in the third quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 14,327 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $261,000 after buying an additional 7,650 shares during the period. Bank of New York Mellon Corp increased its position in shares of Ames National by 4.9% in the second quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 37,235 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $763,000 after acquiring an additional 1,737 shares in the last quarter. Choreo LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Ames National during the second quarter valued at approximately $807,000. Finally, State Street Corp boosted its stake in Ames National by 0.9% in the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 123,550 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $2,252,000 after purchasing an additional 1,069 shares during the period. 26.47% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Ames National

Ames National Corporation operates as a multi-bank holding company that provides banking products and services primarily in Boone, Clarke, Hancock, Marshall, Polk, Story, and Union counties in central, north central, and south-central Iowa. The company accepts various deposit products, including checking and savings accounts; and time deposits, such as money market accounts and certificates of deposit.