Short Interest in Ames National Co. (NASDAQ:ATLO) Decreases By 31.5%

Ames National Co. (NASDAQ:ATLO) was the target of a significant decline in short interest during the month of November. As of November 15th, there was short interest totalling 47,400 shares, a decline of 31.5% from the October 31st total of 69,200 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 16,400 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 2.9 days. Approximately 0.5% of the company’s shares are sold short.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Ames National

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Barclays PLC grew its holdings in Ames National by 299.1% in the third quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 11,418 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $208,000 after purchasing an additional 8,557 shares during the period. Bank of New York Mellon Corp grew its holdings in Ames National by 4.9% in the second quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 37,235 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $763,000 after purchasing an additional 1,737 shares during the period. Choreo LLC purchased a new stake in Ames National in the second quarter worth about $807,000. State Street Corp grew its holdings in Ames National by 0.9% in the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 123,550 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $2,252,000 after purchasing an additional 1,069 shares during the period. Finally, Geode Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in Ames National by 2.4% in the third quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 204,642 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $3,731,000 after purchasing an additional 4,843 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 26.47% of the company’s stock.

Ames National Stock Performance

Ames National stock traded up $0.09 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $16.99. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 15,721 shares, compared to its average volume of 14,664. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $17.69 and a 200-day moving average price of $19.00. Ames National has a 12 month low of $15.69 and a 12 month high of $22.50.

Ames National Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 14th. Shareholders of record on Friday, January 31st will be given a $0.20 dividend. This represents a $0.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.71%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, January 31st. Ames National’s payout ratio is 74.77%.

About Ames National

Ames National Corporation operates as a multi-bank holding company that provides banking products and services primarily in Boone, Clarke, Hancock, Marshall, Polk, Story, and Union counties in central, north central, and south-central Iowa. The company accepts various deposit products, including checking and savings accounts; and time deposits, such as money market accounts and certificates of deposit.