First Bancshares (NASDAQ:FBMS) Now Covered by Analysts at StockNews.com

StockNews.com started coverage on shares of First Bancshares (NASDAQ:FBMS) in a research note released on Wednesday morning. The brokerage issued a sell rating on the bank’s stock.

A number of other analysts also recently issued reports on the stock. Janney Montgomery Scott downgraded shares of First Bancshares from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, October 24th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods increased their price target on First Bancshares from $40.00 to $45.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 4th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have given a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, First Bancshares currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $37.17.

First Bancshares Stock Down 0.2 %

FBMS stock opened at $34.24 on Wednesday. First Bancshares has a fifty-two week low of $22.96 and a fifty-two week high of $39.08. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33, a current ratio of 0.84 and a quick ratio of 0.84. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.07 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.49 and a beta of 0.93. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $35.92 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $32.70.

First Bancshares Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, November 22nd. Shareholders of record on Friday, November 8th were given a dividend of $0.25 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, November 8th. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.92%. First Bancshares’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 45.25%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On First Bancshares

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in FBMS. CWM LLC grew its stake in shares of First Bancshares by 73.2% in the 3rd quarter. CWM LLC now owns 2,960 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $95,000 after buying an additional 1,251 shares during the period. FMR LLC raised its holdings in First Bancshares by 50.8% during the third quarter. FMR LLC now owns 3,194 shares of the bank’s stock worth $103,000 after buying an additional 1,076 shares during the last quarter. Quest Partners LLC bought a new position in shares of First Bancshares in the second quarter valued at $89,000. Entropy Technologies LP bought a new stake in shares of First Bancshares during the third quarter worth about $203,000. Finally, Verition Fund Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of First Bancshares in the 3rd quarter worth about $236,000. 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.