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

Gardner Lewis Asset Management L P boosted its position in The First Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:FBMS - Free Report) by 346.5% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 360,555 shares of the bank's stock after purchasing an additional 279,812 shares during the period. First Bancshares makes up approximately 3.1% of Gardner Lewis Asset Management L P's investment portfolio, making the stock its 9th biggest holding. Gardner Lewis Asset Management L P owned approximately 1.16% of First Bancshares worth $12,619,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors have also modified their holdings of FBMS. Principal Financial Group Inc. bought a new position in shares of First Bancshares in the third quarter worth about $846,000. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted its position in First Bancshares by 5.9% in the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 475,014 shares of the bank's stock valued at $15,262,000 after buying an additional 26,349 shares during the period. State Street Corp grew its stake in First Bancshares by 3.0% in the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 971,246 shares of the bank's stock worth $31,206,000 after acquiring an additional 28,215 shares in the last quarter. Barclays PLC increased its position in shares of First Bancshares by 48.1% during the third quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 86,748 shares of the bank's stock worth $2,787,000 after acquiring an additional 28,184 shares during the period. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. raised its stake in shares of First Bancshares by 7.6% during the fourth quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 967,043 shares of the bank's stock valued at $33,847,000 after acquiring an additional 68,396 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 69.95% of the company's stock.

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Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts have commented on the company. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised their price objective on First Bancshares from $40.00 to $45.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday, December 4th. StockNews.com started coverage on First Bancshares in a research note on Saturday. They set a "sell" rating on the stock.

First Bancshares Stock Up 0.5 %

Shares of NASDAQ FBMS traded up $0.16 during midday trading on Monday, reaching $33.81. 2,216,012 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 148,477. The company has a market cap of $1.06 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.86 and a beta of 0.92. The First Bancshares, Inc. has a one year low of $22.96 and a one year high of $39.21. The company has a quick ratio of 0.84, a current ratio of 0.84 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33. The stock's 50 day simple moving average is $36.06 and its 200-day simple moving average is $35.04.

First Bancshares Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, February 26th. Investors of record on Monday, February 10th were paid a dividend of $0.25 per share. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.96%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, February 10th. First Bancshares's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 40.98%.

First Bancshares 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.