First Bank (NASDAQ:FRBA) Short Interest Update

First Bank (NASDAQ:FRBA - Get Free Report) was the recipient of a significant growth in short interest during the month of January. As of January 31st, there was short interest totalling 56,300 shares, a growth of 16.6% from the January 15th total of 48,300 shares. Currently, 0.3% of the shares of the company are short sold. Based on an average trading volume of 50,700 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 1.1 days.

First Bank Stock Performance

Shares of FRBA traded down $0.15 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, hitting $15.16. 33,217 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 49,222. The company has a quick ratio of 1.11, a current ratio of 1.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66. First Bank has a 52 week low of $11.20 and a 52 week high of $15.87. The stock's 50-day simple moving average is $14.42 and its 200-day simple moving average is $14.69. The firm has a market cap of $296.68 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.08 and a beta of 0.95.

First Bank (NASDAQ:FRBA - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 23rd. The bank reported $0.42 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.39 by $0.03. First Bank had a return on equity of 11.06% and a net margin of 18.41%. On average, equities research analysts expect that First Bank will post 1.78 EPS for the current year.

First Bank Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 21st. Investors of record on Friday, February 7th will be paid a $0.06 dividend. This represents a $0.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.58%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 7th. First Bank's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 14.37%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

FRBA has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. StockNews.com lowered First Bank from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Monday, January 27th. Piper Sandler reissued an "overweight" rating and issued a $17.00 target price (down previously from $18.00) on shares of First Bank in a research report on Wednesday, October 30th.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On First Bank

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Picton Mahoney Asset Management acquired a new stake in shares of First Bank during the 4th quarter worth approximately $31,000. FNY Investment Advisers LLC acquired a new stake in shares of First Bank in the 4th quarter valued at $98,000. SG Americas Securities LLC bought a new position in shares of First Bank in the 3rd quarter valued at $113,000. Squarepoint Ops LLC bought a new position in shares of First Bank in the 4th quarter valued at $170,000. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company MN raised its holdings in shares of First Bank by 27.6% during the 4th quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN now owns 12,452 shares of the bank's stock worth $175,000 after buying an additional 2,697 shares in the last quarter. 64.86% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

First Bank Company Profile

First Bank provides various banking products and services to small to mid-sized businesses and individuals. The company accepts various deposits, including non-interest-bearing demand deposits, interest bearing demand accounts, money market accounts, savings accounts, and certificates of deposit, as well as commercial checking accounts.