First Bancshares (FBMS) Set to Announce Quarterly Earnings on Friday

First Bancshares (NASDAQ:FBMS) is set to issue its quarterly earnings data on Friday, April 12th.

First Bancshares (NASDAQ:FBMS) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, January 24th. The bank reported $0.59 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.70 by ($0.11). The firm had revenue of $60.01 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $72.10 million. First Bancshares had a net margin of 19.47% and a return on equity of 10.60%. On average, analysts expect First Bancshares to post $3 EPS for the current fiscal year and $3 EPS for the next fiscal year.

First Bancshares Stock Performance

NASDAQ FBMS opened at $23.71 on Thursday. The company has a market cap of $740.46 million, a P/E ratio of 9.92 and a beta of 0.88. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54, a current ratio of 0.85 and a quick ratio of 0.85. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $24.78 and a two-hundred day moving average of $26.20. First Bancshares has a 1-year low of $22.82 and a 1-year high of $32.06.

First Bancshares Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 23rd. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, February 7th were given a $0.25 dividend. This is an increase from First Bancshares’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.24. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.22%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, February 6th. First Bancshares’s payout ratio is currently 41.84%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on FBMS shares. Stephens reissued an “overweight” rating and set a $34.00 price objective on shares of First Bancshares in a research report on Wednesday, January 17th. TheStreet downgraded First Bancshares from a “b-” rating to a “c+” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 28th. StockNews.com downgraded First Bancshares from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 3rd. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reissued a “market perform” rating and set a $28.00 price objective on shares of First Bancshares in a research report on Friday, January 26th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has issued a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $32.00.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On First Bancshares

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD purchased a new stake in First Bancshares during the fourth quarter worth approximately $219,000. Cubist Systematic Strategies LLC purchased a new stake in First Bancshares during the second quarter worth approximately $208,000. Qube Research & Technologies Ltd purchased a new stake in First Bancshares during the third quarter worth approximately $200,000. Citigroup Inc. lifted its stake in First Bancshares by 19.3% during the first quarter. Citigroup Inc. now owns 4,898 shares of the bank’s stock worth $127,000 after purchasing an additional 794 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Tower Research Capital LLC TRC lifted its stake in First Bancshares by 478.1% during the third quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 3,723 shares of the bank’s stock worth $111,000 after purchasing an additional 3,079 shares during the last quarter. 69.95% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

First Bancshares Company Profile

The First Bancshares, Inc operates as the bank holding company for The First Bank that provides general commercial and retail banking services. The company operates through three segments: Commercial/Retail Bank, Mortgage Banking Division, and Holding Company. It offers deposit services, including checking, NOW, and savings accounts; other time deposits, such as daily money market accounts and longer-term certificates of deposit; and individual retirement and health savings accounts.