First Bancshares (NASDAQ:FBMS) Earns Sell Rating from Analysts at StockNews.com

StockNews.com started coverage on shares of First Bancshares (NASDAQ:FBMS) in a report published on Monday morning. The firm issued a sell rating on the bank’s stock.

A number of other analysts also recently issued reports on FBMS. Janney Montgomery Scott downgraded First Bancshares from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 24th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lifted their price target on shares of First Bancshares from $40.00 to $45.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 4th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have issued a hold rating and one has issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $38.75.

First Bancshares Price Performance

FBMS stock opened at $37.05 on Monday. The business has a fifty day moving average of $36.13 and a two-hundred day moving average of $34.55. The company has a quick ratio of 0.84, a current ratio of 0.84 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33. The stock has a market cap of $1.16 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.18 and a beta of 0.94. First Bancshares has a 52-week low of $22.96 and a 52-week high of $39.21.

First Bancshares Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, February 26th. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 10th will be given a $0.25 dividend. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.70%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, February 10th. First Bancshares’s dividend payout ratio is currently 40.98%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On First Bancshares

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. CWM LLC grew its holdings in shares of First Bancshares by 73.2% in the third quarter. CWM LLC now owns 2,960 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $95,000 after purchasing an additional 1,251 shares in the last quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. grew its stake in shares of First Bancshares by 11.4% in the third quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 16,751 shares of the bank’s stock worth $530,000 after acquiring an additional 1,711 shares in the last quarter. Olympiad Research LP acquired a new position in shares of First Bancshares in the third quarter worth $997,000. Principal Financial Group Inc. acquired a new position in First Bancshares during the 3rd quarter worth $846,000. Finally, Wolverine Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in First Bancshares during the 3rd quarter worth $1,054,000. 69.95% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About First Bancshares

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.