First Guaranty Bancshares (NASDAQ:FGBI) Stock Passes Below Fifty Day Moving Average - Time to Sell?

First Guaranty Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:FGBI - Get Free Report) crossed below its 50-day moving average during trading on Wednesday . The stock has a 50-day moving average of $8.40 and traded as low as $7.51. First Guaranty Bancshares shares last traded at $8.06, with a volume of 7,757 shares traded.

First Guaranty Bancshares Stock Performance

The company has a market cap of $106.71 million, a P/E ratio of 10.52 and a beta of 0.37. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.91, a current ratio of 0.91 and a quick ratio of 0.91. The business has a 50-day moving average of $8.24 and a two-hundred day moving average of $10.31.

First Guaranty Bancshares (NASDAQ:FGBI - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Monday, February 3rd. The bank reported $0.03 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.16 by ($0.13). First Guaranty Bancshares had a return on equity of 5.62% and a net margin of 5.04%. On average, sell-side analysts predict that First Guaranty Bancshares, Inc. will post 0.89 EPS for the current fiscal year.

First Guaranty Bancshares Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 31st. Stockholders of record on Thursday, March 27th were issued a dividend of $0.01 per share. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, March 27th. This represents a $0.04 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.47%. First Guaranty Bancshares's dividend payout ratio is presently 4.94%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Bruce Mcanally purchased 24,615 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Monday, March 31st. The shares were acquired at an average price of $8.47 per share, for a total transaction of $208,489.05. Following the purchase, the director now owns 145,839 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,235,256.33. This trade represents a 20.31 % increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director Edgar R. Smith III purchased 98,460 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, April 2nd. The stock was bought at an average cost of $8.47 per share, with a total value of $833,956.20. Following the acquisition, the director now owns 98,460 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $833,956.20. The trade was a ∞ increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Insiders have acquired a total of 123,175 shares of company stock worth $1,043,292 in the last ninety days. 46.40% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On First Guaranty Bancshares

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its stake in shares of First Guaranty Bancshares by 8.0% in the third quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 68,788 shares of the bank's stock worth $733,000 after purchasing an additional 5,070 shares during the last quarter. Arkadios Wealth Advisors purchased a new stake in shares of First Guaranty Bancshares in the 4th quarter valued at $122,000. Empowered Funds LLC increased its stake in shares of First Guaranty Bancshares by 4.9% in the fourth quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 42,306 shares of the bank's stock worth $481,000 after acquiring an additional 1,968 shares during the period. LPL Financial LLC acquired a new position in First Guaranty Bancshares during the fourth quarter valued at $400,000. Finally, Northern Trust Corp boosted its holdings in First Guaranty Bancshares by 48.8% in the fourth quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 26,780 shares of the bank's stock valued at $304,000 after purchasing an additional 8,780 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 39.52% of the company's stock.

About First Guaranty Bancshares

First Guaranty Bancshares, Inc operates as the holding company for First Guaranty Bank that provides commercial banking services in Louisiana and Texas. It offers various deposit products, including personal and business checking, savings, money market, and demand accounts, as well as time deposits to consumers, small businesses, and municipalities.