First Bancshares (NASDAQ:FBMS) Sets New 52-Week High – Should You Buy?

The First Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:FBMS) reached a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Monday . The company traded as high as $38.72 and last traded at $38.72, with a volume of 9139 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $37.65.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have commented on FBMS. StockNews.com assumed coverage on shares of First Bancshares in a report on Thursday, November 21st. They issued a “sell” rating on the stock. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upgraded First Bancshares from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and upped their target price for the stock from $31.00 to $40.00 in a research note on Friday, August 2nd. Finally, Janney Montgomery Scott lowered First Bancshares from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, October 24th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have assigned a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $35.50.

First Bancshares Stock Down 1.2 %

The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $33.76 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $30.27. The company has a market cap of $1.18 billion, a PE ratio of 15.17 and a beta of 0.91. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33, a current ratio of 0.84 and a quick ratio of 0.84.

First Bancshares Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, November 22nd. Investors of record on Friday, November 8th were paid a $0.25 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, November 8th. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.65%. First Bancshares’s dividend payout ratio is presently 45.25%.

Institutional Trading of First Bancshares

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Innealta Capital LLC purchased a new position in shares of First Bancshares during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $36,000. CWM LLC increased its holdings in First Bancshares by 3,387.8% in the 2nd quarter. CWM LLC now owns 1,709 shares of the bank’s stock worth $44,000 after acquiring an additional 1,660 shares in the last quarter. FMR LLC raised its position 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 acquiring an additional 1,076 shares during the period. Quest Partners LLC purchased a new position in First Bancshares during the second quarter valued at $89,000. Finally, Entropy Technologies LP acquired a new stake in shares of First Bancshares in the third quarter valued at about $203,000. 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.