The First Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:FBMS) Stock Position Reduced by Thrivent Financial for Lutherans

Thrivent Financial for Lutherans trimmed its position in The First Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:FBMS - Free Report) by 26.1% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 42,026 shares of the bank's stock after selling 14,843 shares during the period. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans owned approximately 0.13% of First Bancshares worth $1,471,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Vestcor Inc acquired a new position in shares of First Bancshares in the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. FMR LLC boosted its holdings in First Bancshares by 50.8% during the third quarter. FMR LLC now owns 3,194 shares of the bank's stock worth $103,000 after buying an additional 1,076 shares in the last quarter. Verition Fund Management LLC acquired a new position in First Bancshares in the third quarter worth approximately $236,000. Raymond James Financial Inc. bought a new position in shares of First Bancshares in the fourth quarter valued at $307,000. Finally, Quantbot Technologies LP acquired a new stake in shares of First Bancshares during the 3rd quarter valued at $308,000. 69.95% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

First Bancshares Stock Up 0.3 %

NASDAQ:FBMS traded up $0.10 during trading hours on Thursday, hitting $33.75. 2,277,247 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 188,120. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $35.88 and a 200 day moving average price of $35.05. The firm has a market cap of $1.05 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.83 and a beta of 0.92. 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 current ratio of 0.84, a quick ratio of 0.84 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33.

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First Bancshares Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, February 26th. Investors of record on Monday, February 10th were paid a $0.25 dividend. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.96%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, February 10th. First Bancshares's dividend payout ratio is currently 40.98%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods boosted 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 initiated coverage on First Bancshares in a report on Saturday, March 29th. They set a "sell" rating on the stock.

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.