Ames National (NASDAQ:ATLO) Stock Price Crosses Above 50-Day Moving Average – Should You Sell?

Ames National Corporation (NASDAQ:ATLO)’s stock price crossed above its fifty day moving average during trading on Monday . The stock has a fifty day moving average of $28.79 and traded as high as $30.02. Ames National shares last traded at $29.80, with a volume of 105,423 shares.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

ATLO has been the subject of several research reports. Zacks Research raised shares of Ames National to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, April 16th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Ames National in a research note on Tuesday, June 9th. Brean Capital raised shares of Ames National to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, April 15th. Finally, National Bank Financial set a $31.00 target price on Ames National in a research note on Wednesday, April 15th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $31.00.

Ames National Price Performance

The stock has a market capitalization of $264.03 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.31 and a beta of 0.30. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $28.79 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $26.74.

Ames National (NASDAQ:ATLO) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Friday, April 24th. The financial services provider reported $0.67 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. The company had revenue of $18.22 million during the quarter. Ames National had a net margin of 21.63% and a return on equity of 10.65%. Research analysts anticipate that Ames National Corporation will post 2.7 EPS for the current year.

Ames National Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 15th. Investors of record on Monday, June 1st were given a $0.24 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, June 1st. This represents a $0.96 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.2%. Ames National’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 39.67%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Ames National

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Russell Investments Group Ltd. raised its holdings in shares of Ames National by 67.6% during the second quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 1,379 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 556 shares during the last quarter. Royal Bank of Canada grew its holdings in Ames National by 210.2% in the 4th quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 1,548 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $36,000 after buying an additional 1,049 shares in the last quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets grew its holdings in Ames National by 148.3% in the 3rd quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 2,175 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $44,000 after buying an additional 1,299 shares in the last quarter. Deutsche Bank AG increased its position in Ames National by 42.3% in the 4th quarter. Deutsche Bank AG now owns 6,348 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $146,000 after acquiring an additional 1,886 shares during the period. Finally, First Trust Advisors LP acquired a new stake in Ames National in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $187,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 26.47% of the company’s stock.

About Ames National

Ames National Corporation is the bank holding company for Ames National Bank, a full-service community bank headquartered in Ames, Iowa. Through its subsidiary, the company provides a range of commercial and consumer banking products designed to meet the needs of individuals, small businesses, farmers and agribusiness clients in central Iowa. Its network of branch offices serves Story County and neighboring counties, supporting local economic development and community initiatives.

The company’s core offerings include checking and savings accounts, money market and certificate of deposit products, along with online and mobile banking services.