First Bank (NASDAQ:FRBA) Stock Price Crosses Below Fifty Day Moving Average – Should You Sell?

First Bank (NASDAQ:FRBA)’s stock price passed below its fifty day moving average during trading on Monday . The stock has a fifty day moving average of $16.19 and traded as low as $16.08. First Bank shares last traded at $16.66, with a volume of 96,045 shares trading hands.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts have commented on FRBA shares. Zacks Research lowered First Bank from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, December 25th. DA Davidson downgraded First Bank from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, October 20th. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of First Bank in a report on Monday, December 29th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, First Bank has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $18.25.

First Bank Stock Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.78, a current ratio of 1.14 and a quick ratio of 1.14. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $16.19 and a 200-day moving average price of $15.99. The firm has a market capitalization of $326.04 million, a PE ratio of 10.04 and a beta of 0.72.

First Bank (NASDAQ:FRBA) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, October 22nd. The bank reported $0.47 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.46 by $0.01. First Bank had a return on equity of 10.02% and a net margin of 17.27%.The firm had revenue of $37.97 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $36.76 million. On average, research analysts expect that First Bank will post 1.78 EPS for the current fiscal year.

First Bank Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, November 21st. Shareholders of record on Friday, November 7th were paid a dividend of $0.06 per share. This represents a $0.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.4%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, November 7th. First Bank’s dividend payout ratio is 14.46%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On First Bank

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. BNP Paribas Financial Markets lifted its position in shares of First Bank by 21.7% during the second quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 4,620 shares of the bank’s stock worth $71,000 after purchasing an additional 825 shares during the last quarter. First Trust Advisors LP increased its holdings in First Bank by 5.6% in the second quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 15,958 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $247,000 after buying an additional 853 shares during the last quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC raised its stake in First Bank by 7.8% during the third quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 13,115 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $205,000 after buying an additional 953 shares in the last quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. lifted its holdings in First Bank by 1.2% during the 1st quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 78,677 shares of the bank’s stock worth $1,165,000 after buying an additional 964 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Rhumbline Advisers grew its position in shares of First Bank by 3.7% in the 2nd quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 30,316 shares of the bank’s stock worth $469,000 after acquiring an additional 1,070 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 64.86% of the company’s stock.

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. It also offers various loan products comprising commercial and industrial loans, which include line of credit, inventory, equipment, and short-term working capital financing; commercial real estate loans, such as owner-occupied, investor, construction and development, and multi-family loans; residential real estate loans comprising residential mortgages, first and second lien home equity loans, and revolving lines of credit; and consumer and other loans consists of auto, personal, traditional installment, and other loans.