Analysts Set The First Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:FBMS) PT at $35.50

Shares of The First Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:FBMS - Get Free Report) have earned an average recommendation of "Moderate Buy" from the four brokerages that are covering the firm, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the company. The average 12 month price target among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $35.50.

A number of research analysts have weighed in on the stock. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upgraded shares of First Bancshares from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and boosted their target price for the company from $31.00 to $40.00 in a research note on Friday, August 2nd. Janney Montgomery Scott lowered shares of First Bancshares from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating in a report on Thursday, October 24th. Hovde Group boosted their price target on shares of First Bancshares from $29.00 to $32.50 and gave the company a "market perform" rating in a research report on Monday, July 29th. Finally, StockNews.com assumed coverage on First Bancshares in a research note on Wednesday, November 13th. They set a "sell" rating for the company.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On First Bancshares

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in FBMS. Russell Investments Group Ltd. increased its position in shares of First Bancshares by 72.7% during the 1st quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 62,984 shares of the bank's stock valued at $1,634,000 after purchasing an additional 26,514 shares during the last quarter. Boston Partners purchased a new stake in shares of First Bancshares in the first quarter worth approximately $895,000. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its stake in shares of First Bancshares by 3.8% during the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 1,626,074 shares of the bank's stock worth $42,197,000 after acquiring an additional 59,471 shares during the last quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans boosted its holdings in First Bancshares by 16.3% during the 2nd quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans now owns 119,512 shares of the bank's stock valued at $3,105,000 after acquiring an additional 16,723 shares during the period. Finally, Elizabeth Park Capital Advisors Ltd. bought a new position in First Bancshares in the 2nd quarter valued at $4,548,000. 69.95% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

First Bancshares Stock Down 0.6 %

Shares of First Bancshares stock traded down $0.21 on Monday, hitting $36.16. The company had a trading volume of 79,674 shares, compared to its average volume of 192,117. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33, a quick ratio of 0.82 and a current ratio of 0.84. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $33.15 and a 200-day moving average of $29.77. First Bancshares has a 1 year low of $22.96 and a 1 year high of $38.21. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.13 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.46 and a beta of 0.91.

First Bancshares Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 22nd. Stockholders of record on Friday, November 8th will be paid a $0.25 dividend. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.77%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, November 8th. First Bancshares's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 45.25%.

First Bancshares Company 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.