StockNews.com Initiates Coverage on First Bancshares (NASDAQ:FBMS)

StockNews.com initiated coverage on shares of First Bancshares (NASDAQ:FBMS) in a report released on Tuesday morning. The firm issued a hold rating on the bank’s stock.

First Bancshares Stock Performance

Shares of FBMS opened at $33.75 on Tuesday. First Bancshares has a 12-month low of $23.60 and a 12-month high of $39.21. The stock has a market cap of $1.05 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.83 and a beta of 0.92. The company has a current ratio of 0.84, a quick ratio of 0.84 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33. The company has a 50-day moving average of $34.49 and a two-hundred day moving average of $35.24.

First Bancshares Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, February 26th. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 10th were given a $0.25 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, February 10th. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.96%. First Bancshares’s dividend payout ratio is currently 40.98%.

Institutional Trading of First Bancshares

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Lord Abbett & CO. LLC acquired a new stake in shares of First Bancshares during the 3rd quarter worth about $56,256,000. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP grew its stake in First Bancshares by 4.9% in the 4th quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 1,598,088 shares of the bank’s stock worth $55,933,000 after acquiring an additional 74,483 shares during the period. Alliancebernstein L.P. grew its stake in First Bancshares by 2.7% in the 4th quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 1,030,933 shares of the bank’s stock worth $36,083,000 after acquiring an additional 27,548 shares during the period. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. raised its holdings in First Bancshares by 7.6% in the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 967,043 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $33,847,000 after acquiring an additional 68,396 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Magnetar Financial LLC lifted its stake in shares of First Bancshares by 2.5% during the 4th quarter. Magnetar Financial LLC now owns 755,555 shares of the bank’s stock worth $26,444,000 after purchasing an additional 18,133 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 69.95% of the company’s stock.

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.