First Guaranty Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:FGBI) Short Interest Up 23.5% in December

First Guaranty Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:FGBI) was the recipient of a significant increase in short interest during the month of December. As of December 15th, there was short interest totaling 71,248 shares, an increase of 23.5% from the November 30th total of 57,695 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 24,750 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 2.9 days. Approximately 0.9% of the shares of the stock are sold short. Approximately 0.9% of the shares of the stock are sold short. Based on an average daily volume of 24,750 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 2.9 days.

First Guaranty Bancshares Stock Down 0.6%

Shares of NASDAQ FGBI opened at $5.37 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $82.43 million, a PE ratio of -1.30 and a beta of 0.33. First Guaranty Bancshares has a 52-week low of $4.31 and a 52-week high of $11.50. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $5.47 and a 200 day moving average price of $7.34. The company has a quick ratio of 0.88, a current ratio of 0.88 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.99.

First Guaranty Bancshares (NASDAQ:FGBI) last announced its earnings results on Friday, October 31st. The bank reported ($3.01) EPS for the quarter. First Guaranty Bancshares had a negative net margin of 25.11% and a negative return on equity of 20.76%. The business had revenue of $24.10 million during the quarter. Equities research analysts forecast that First Guaranty Bancshares will post 0.89 earnings per share for the current year.

First Guaranty Bancshares Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, December 31st. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 26th were paid a $0.01 dividend. This represents a $0.04 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.7%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, December 26th. First Guaranty Bancshares’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is -0.97%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director Edgar R. Smith III purchased 15,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, November 20th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $4.97 per share, for a total transaction of $74,550.00. Following the acquisition, the director directly owned 2,867,467 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $14,251,310.99. This represents a 0.53% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Robert W. Walker bought 5,745 shares of First Guaranty Bancshares stock in a transaction on Thursday, December 11th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $4.53 per share, for a total transaction of $26,024.85. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 51,121 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $231,578.13. This trade represents a 12.66% increase in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Insiders acquired a total of 34,545 shares of company stock valued at $166,575 over the last ninety days. Corporate insiders own 47.20% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On First Guaranty Bancshares

An institutional investor recently raised its position in First Guaranty Bancshares stock. Acadian Asset Management LLC grew its holdings in First Guaranty Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:FGBI) by 11.1% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 49,565 shares of the bank’s stock after buying an additional 4,956 shares during the quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC owned about 0.38% of First Guaranty Bancshares worth $379,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. 39.52% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Weiss Ratings reissued a “sell (d)” rating on shares of First Guaranty Bancshares in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. Zacks Research raised First Guaranty Bancshares from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, December 8th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, First Guaranty Bancshares currently has an average rating of “Reduce”.

First Guaranty Bancshares Company Profile

First Guaranty Bancshares, Inc is a financial holding company headquartered in Hammond, Louisiana. Through its principal subsidiary, First Guaranty Bank, the company provides a diversified range of commercial and retail banking services. Founded in 1932, First Guaranty Bancshares has grown from a community mutual bank into a publicly traded institution listed on the Nasdaq under the ticker FGBI.

The company’s core business activities encompass traditional deposit products and lending solutions.