Farmers & Merchants Bancorp (NASDAQ:FMAO) Stock Crosses Above 50-Day Moving Average – Time to Sell?

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Inc. (NASDAQ:FMAO)’s share price crossed above its 50-day moving average during trading on Thursday . The stock has a 50-day moving average of $25.16 and traded as high as $25.29. Farmers & Merchants Bancorp shares last traded at $25.16, with a volume of 34,492 shares.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages have recently commented on FMAO. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Zacks Research downgraded shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, December 30th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating, According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold”.

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Stock Up 4.6%

The company has a current ratio of 0.97, a quick ratio of 0.97 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.52. The firm has a market capitalization of $345.95 million, a PE ratio of 10.84 and a beta of 0.84. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $25.16 and a two-hundred day moving average of $25.33.

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp (NASDAQ:FMAO) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Monday, October 27th. The financial services provider reported $0.64 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.59 by $0.05. The firm had revenue of $31.26 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $26.35 million. Farmers & Merchants Bancorp had a return on equity of 9.16% and a net margin of 17.03%. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Inc. will post 1.82 EPS for the current year.

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, January 20th. Investors of record on Monday, December 29th will be given a dividend of $0.23 per share. This is a boost from Farmers & Merchants Bancorp’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.23. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, December 29th. This represents a $0.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.7%. Farmers & Merchants Bancorp’s dividend payout ratio is currently 39.66%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Farmers & Merchants Bancorp

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. BNP Paribas Financial Markets increased its position in shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp by 36.0% in the second quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 1,924 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $49,000 after acquiring an additional 509 shares in the last quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Farmers & Merchants Bancorp by 126.2% in the 3rd quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 2,185 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $55,000 after purchasing an additional 1,219 shares in the last quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC increased its holdings in Farmers & Merchants Bancorp by 948.7% in the 2nd quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 4,436 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $112,000 after purchasing an additional 4,013 shares in the last quarter. Trust Co. of Toledo NA OH purchased a new position in Farmers & Merchants Bancorp in the second quarter valued at about $201,000. Finally, Franklin Resources Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp during the second quarter worth about $210,000. 23.96% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.