First Bancshares (NASDAQ:FBMS) Hits New 1-Year High - What's Next?

Shares of The First Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:FBMS - Get Free Report) hit a new 52-week high on Thursday . The stock traded as high as $39.13 and last traded at $38.96, with a volume of 137348 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $37.49.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts have issued reports on the company. StockNews.com assumed coverage on First Bancshares in a research note on Saturday. They set a "sell" rating for the company. Janney Montgomery Scott downgraded First Bancshares from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating in a research note on Thursday, October 24th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised their target price on First Bancshares from $40.00 to $45.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday, December 4th. One investment 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. Based on data from MarketBeat, First Bancshares currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $38.75.

First Bancshares Stock Performance

The company has a market capitalization of $1.18 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.49 and a beta of 0.94. 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 stock's 50-day moving average price is $35.91 and its 200-day moving average price is $33.99.

First Bancshares Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared 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 2.65%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, February 10th. First Bancshares's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 40.98%.

Institutional Trading of First Bancshares

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. CWM LLC raised its holdings in shares of First Bancshares by 73.2% during the third quarter. CWM LLC now owns 2,960 shares of the bank's stock worth $95,000 after acquiring an additional 1,251 shares in the last quarter. FMR LLC lifted its holdings in shares of 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. Entropy Technologies LP bought a new stake in First Bancshares in the 3rd quarter valued at $203,000. Verition Fund Management LLC acquired a new position in First Bancshares in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $236,000. Finally, Quantbot Technologies LP acquired a new stake in First Bancshares during the third quarter worth $308,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 69.95% of the company's stock.

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.