Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB publ Raises Holdings in The First Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:FBMS)

Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB publ raised its position in shares of The First Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:FBMS - Free Report) by 84.5% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 59,194 shares of the bank's stock after acquiring an additional 27,118 shares during the quarter. Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB publ owned approximately 0.19% of First Bancshares worth $2,072,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in FBMS. Vestcor Inc bought a new stake in shares of First Bancshares in the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. FMR LLC boosted its position in shares of First Bancshares by 50.8% in the 3rd quarter. FMR LLC now owns 3,194 shares of the bank's stock worth $103,000 after purchasing an additional 1,076 shares in the last quarter. Entropy Technologies LP bought a new stake in shares of First Bancshares in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $203,000. Verition Fund Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of First Bancshares in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $236,000. Finally, Raymond James Financial Inc. bought a new stake in shares of First Bancshares in the 4th quarter worth approximately $307,000. 69.95% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

First Bancshares Stock Performance

FBMS traded down $0.20 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $34.74. 105,861 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 174,497. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.09 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.24 and a beta of 0.92. 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 company's fifty day moving average price is $35.99 and its 200-day moving average price is $34.90. The First Bancshares, Inc. has a 52-week low of $22.96 and a 52-week high of $39.21.

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First Bancshares Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, February 26th. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 10th were paid a $0.25 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, February 10th. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.88%. First Bancshares's payout ratio is presently 40.98%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts recently weighed in on FBMS shares. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods boosted their price objective on shares of 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 shares of First Bancshares in a report on Thursday, March 13th. They issued a "sell" rating for the company.

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.