Farmers & Merchants Bancorp (NASDAQ:FMAO) Shares Cross Below 200-Day Moving Average – What’s Next?

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Inc. (NASDAQ:FMAO) passed below its two hundred day moving average during trading on Friday . The stock has a two hundred day moving average of $25.34 and traded as low as $25.30. Farmers & Merchants Bancorp shares last traded at $25.30, with a volume of 25,568 shares changing hands.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

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

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Trading Down 0.3%

The stock has a market capitalization of $347.88 million, a PE ratio of 10.91 and a beta of 0.84. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $25.28 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $25.34. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.52, a current ratio of 0.97 and a quick ratio of 0.97.

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

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, January 20th. Investors of record on Monday, December 29th will be issued a $0.23 dividend. This is a boost from Farmers & Merchants Bancorp’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.23. This represents a $0.92 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, December 29th. Farmers & Merchants Bancorp’s payout ratio is 39.66%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Farmers & Merchants Bancorp

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. BNP Paribas Financial Markets increased its stake in shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp by 36.0% in the 2nd 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 during the last quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp by 126.2% during the 3rd quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 2,185 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $55,000 after acquiring an additional 1,219 shares during the last quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC boosted its position in shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp by 948.7% during 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 acquiring an additional 4,013 shares during the last quarter. Trust Co. of Toledo NA OH purchased a new stake in shares of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp in the second quarter valued at about $201,000. Finally, Franklin Resources Inc. acquired a new stake in Farmers & Merchants Bancorp during the second quarter worth about $210,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 23.96% of the company’s stock.

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.