Gardner Lewis Asset Management L P Boosts Stock Holdings in The First Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:FBMS)

Gardner Lewis Asset Management L P raised its stake in The First Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:FBMS - Free Report) by 346.5% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 360,555 shares of the bank's stock after acquiring an additional 279,812 shares during the period. First Bancshares makes up 3.1% of Gardner Lewis Asset Management L P's portfolio, making the stock its 9th biggest position. Gardner Lewis Asset Management L P owned approximately 1.16% of First Bancshares worth $12,619,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Lord Abbett & CO. LLC bought a new position in First Bancshares in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $56,256,000. Westchester Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of First Bancshares in the third quarter worth approximately $8,249,000. Strategic Financial Concepts LLC bought a new stake in shares of First Bancshares during the 4th quarter valued at $6,296,000. ABC Arbitrage SA purchased a new stake in First Bancshares in the fourth quarter worth about $4,543,000. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased 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 worth $33,847,000 after acquiring an additional 68,396 shares in the last quarter. 69.95% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms have weighed in on FBMS. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upped their price target on shares of First Bancshares from $40.00 to $45.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 4th. StockNews.com began coverage on First Bancshares in a research note on Saturday. They issued a "sell" rating for the company.

First Bancshares Price Performance

FBMS traded up $0.10 during trading on Tuesday, reaching $33.75. 2,277,247 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 189,428. The company 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 debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33, a quick ratio of 0.84 and a current ratio of 0.84. The First Bancshares, Inc. has a 12-month low of $22.96 and a 12-month high of $39.21. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $36.02 and a 200 day simple moving average of $35.06.

First Bancshares Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, February 26th. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 10th were issued 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 (DPR) is 40.98%.

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.