First Bancorp (NASDAQ:FBNC) Shares Acquired by Barclays PLC

Barclays PLC lifted its stake in shares of First Bancorp (NASDAQ:FBNC - Free Report) by 142.3% in the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 79,906 shares of the financial services provider's stock after buying an additional 46,930 shares during the quarter. Barclays PLC owned approximately 0.19% of First Bancorp worth $3,324,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in FBNC. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System grew its stake in First Bancorp by 1.5% in the second quarter. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System now owns 20,700 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $661,000 after purchasing an additional 300 shares in the last quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC raised its position in shares of First Bancorp by 1.8% during the 3rd quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 19,994 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $832,000 after acquiring an additional 347 shares in the last quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors boosted its holdings in First Bancorp by 0.7% in the third quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors now owns 65,459 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $2,722,000 after purchasing an additional 478 shares during the period. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company lifted its position in shares of First Bancorp by 2.8% in the 2nd quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 20,933 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $668,000 after buying an additional 566 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Raymond James & Associates boosted its holdings in shares of First Bancorp by 1.5% in the 2nd quarter. Raymond James & Associates now owns 69,575 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $2,221,000 after buying an additional 1,026 shares during the period. 68.36% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

First Bancorp Stock Performance

FBNC stock traded up $0.47 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, reaching $44.92. The company had a trading volume of 49,396 shares, compared to its average volume of 168,229. The stock's 50-day simple moving average is $45.42 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $40.90. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.86 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.11 and a beta of 1.04. The company has a quick ratio of 0.82, a current ratio of 0.83 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.06. First Bancorp has a one year low of $29.53 and a one year high of $50.34.

First Bancorp (NASDAQ:FBNC - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, October 23rd. The financial services provider reported $0.70 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting analysts' consensus estimates of $0.70. First Bancorp had a net margin of 17.98% and a return on equity of 8.00%. The firm had revenue of $144.99 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $97.00 million. Research analysts anticipate that First Bancorp will post 2.72 EPS for the current year.

First Bancorp Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Saturday, January 25th. Investors of record on Tuesday, December 31st will be issued a $0.22 dividend. This represents a $0.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.96%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, December 31st. First Bancorp's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 35.48%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

FBNC has been the topic of several research reports. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods increased their price objective on shares of First Bancorp from $49.00 to $56.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 4th. StockNews.com cut First Bancorp from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research report on Thursday, October 24th.

First Bancorp Company Profile

First Bancorp operates as the bank holding company for First Bank that provides banking products and services for individuals and small to medium-sized businesses. The company accepts deposit products, such as checking, savings, and money market accounts, as well as time deposits, including certificate of deposits and individual retirement accounts.