Magnetar Financial LLC Purchases 18,133 Shares of The First Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:FBMS)

Magnetar Financial LLC raised its holdings in shares of The First Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:FBMS - Free Report) by 2.5% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 755,555 shares of the bank's stock after acquiring an additional 18,133 shares during the quarter. Magnetar Financial LLC owned approximately 2.42% of First Bancshares worth $26,444,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Intech Investment Management LLC bought a new position in shares of First Bancshares in the fourth quarter valued at $492,000. Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB publ grew its position in shares of First Bancshares by 84.5% in the 4th quarter. Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB publ now owns 59,194 shares of the bank's stock valued at $2,072,000 after acquiring an additional 27,118 shares during the period. Vestcor Inc acquired a new position in shares of First Bancshares during the 4th quarter worth about $25,000. Raymond James Financial Inc. bought a new stake in shares of First Bancshares in the 4th quarter valued at about $307,000. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. lifted its stake 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 valued at $33,847,000 after purchasing an additional 68,396 shares during the last quarter. 69.95% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

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

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First Bancshares Stock Performance

Shares of FBMS stock traded up $0.77 on Monday, hitting $35.82. The company's stock had a trading volume of 175,083 shares, compared to its average volume of 175,298. The First Bancshares, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $22.96 and a fifty-two 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's 50 day moving average is $36.03 and its 200-day moving average is $34.92. The company has a market capitalization of $1.12 billion, a PE ratio of 14.68 and a beta of 0.92.

First Bancshares Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, February 26th. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 10th were issued a $0.25 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, February 10th. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.79%. First Bancshares's dividend payout ratio is presently 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.