Intech Investment Management LLC Purchases Shares of 14,070 The First Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:FBMS)

Intech Investment Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of The First Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:FBMS - Free Report) during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm purchased 14,070 shares of the bank's stock, valued at approximately $492,000.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in FBMS. Lord Abbett & CO. LLC bought a new stake in First Bancshares in the third quarter worth $56,256,000. State Street Corp grew its stake in shares of First Bancshares by 3.0% in the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 971,246 shares of the bank's stock worth $31,206,000 after purchasing an additional 28,215 shares during the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased 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 buying an additional 68,396 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in First Bancshares by 1.9% in the 3rd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 675,448 shares of the bank's stock worth $21,706,000 after purchasing an additional 12,567 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Citigroup Inc. raised its holdings in First Bancshares by 1,454.0% in the 3rd quarter. Citigroup Inc. now owns 619,730 shares of the bank's stock worth $19,912,000 after purchasing an additional 579,851 shares in the last quarter. 69.95% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

FBMS has been the subject of several research reports. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods increased their target price on 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 assumed coverage on shares of First Bancshares in a research report on Friday, March 21st. They issued a "sell" rating on the stock.

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First Bancshares Stock Down 3.7 %

Shares of First Bancshares stock traded down $1.31 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $33.74. The company had a trading volume of 180,304 shares, compared to its average volume of 181,511. The First Bancshares, Inc. has a 52-week low of $22.96 and a 52-week high of $39.21. 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 stock has a market capitalization of $1.05 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.83 and a beta of 0.92. The company has a 50 day moving average of $36.10 and a 200 day moving average of $34.98.

First Bancshares Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, February 26th. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 10th were given a $0.25 dividend. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.96%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, February 10th. First Bancshares's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 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.