First Guaranty Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:FGBI) Short Interest Up 23.9% in January

First Guaranty Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:FGBI) saw a significant increase in short interest in the month of January. As of January 15th, there was short interest totaling 123,798 shares, an increase of 23.9% from the December 31st total of 99,882 shares. Approximately 1.5% of the shares of the company are sold short. Based on an average trading volume of 33,102 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 3.7 days. Based on an average trading volume of 33,102 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 3.7 days. Approximately 1.5% of the shares of the company are sold short.

Insider Buying and Selling at First Guaranty Bancshares

In other First Guaranty Bancshares news, Director Robert W. Walker acquired 7,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, December 10th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $4.54 per share, with a total value of $34,050.00. Following the acquisition, the director directly owned 45,376 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $206,007.04. This trade represents a 19.80% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Bruce Mcanally bought 92,600 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, December 31st. The shares were acquired at an average price of $5.40 per share, for a total transaction of $500,040.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 300,360 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,621,944. This represents a 44.57% increase in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Over the last ninety days, insiders have acquired 382,438 shares of company stock valued at $2,045,197. 47.20% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

An institutional investor recently raised its position in First Guaranty Bancshares stock. Empowered Funds LLC lifted its stake in shares of First Guaranty Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:FGBI) by 8.8% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 46,048 shares of the bank’s stock after purchasing an additional 3,742 shares during the quarter. Empowered Funds LLC owned 0.37% of First Guaranty Bancshares worth $355,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. 39.52% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

First Guaranty Bancshares Stock Down 4.2%

Shares of FGBI opened at $8.87 on Wednesday. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $6.31 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $7.23. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.99, a current ratio of 0.88 and a quick ratio of 0.88. First Guaranty Bancshares has a one year low of $4.31 and a one year high of $10.55. The company has a market cap of $136.15 million, a P/E ratio of -2.15 and a beta of 0.32.

First Guaranty Bancshares (NASDAQ:FGBI) last issued its earnings results on Friday, October 31st. The bank reported ($3.01) earnings per share for the quarter. First Guaranty Bancshares had a negative net margin of 25.11% and a negative return on equity of 20.76%. The business had revenue of $24.10 million during the quarter. Research analysts forecast that First Guaranty Bancshares will post 0.89 EPS for the current fiscal year.

First Guaranty Bancshares Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, December 31st. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 26th were given a $0.01 dividend. This represents a $0.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.5%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, December 26th. First Guaranty Bancshares’s payout ratio is currently -0.97%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on the company. Zacks Research upgraded First Guaranty Bancshares from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, December 8th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “sell (d)” rating on shares of First Guaranty Bancshares in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, First Guaranty Bancshares currently has an average rating of “Reduce”.

First Guaranty Bancshares Company Profile

First Guaranty Bancshares, Inc is a financial holding company headquartered in Hammond, Louisiana. Through its principal subsidiary, First Guaranty Bank, the company provides a diversified range of commercial and retail banking services. Founded in 1932, First Guaranty Bancshares has grown from a community mutual bank into a publicly traded institution listed on the Nasdaq under the ticker FGBI.

The company’s core business activities encompass traditional deposit products and lending solutions.