Peoples Bancorp (NASDAQ:PEBO) Shares Pass Above 200 Day Moving Average – Should You Sell?

Peoples Bancorp Inc. (NASDAQ:PEBO) shares crossed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Wednesday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $30.83 and traded as high as $32.47. Peoples Bancorp shares last traded at $32.12, with a volume of 190,155 shares changing hands.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have weighed in on PEBO shares. DA Davidson set a $35.00 target price on Peoples Bancorp in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Peoples Bancorp from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 27th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $33.63.

Peoples Bancorp Trading Down 0.1%

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17, a quick ratio of 0.83 and a current ratio of 0.83. The company has a market capitalization of $1.15 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.74 and a beta of 0.68. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $32.49 and its 200-day simple moving average is $30.83.

Peoples Bancorp (NASDAQ:PEBO) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, January 20th. The bank reported $0.93 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.88 by $0.05. Peoples Bancorp had a net margin of 17.27% and a return on equity of 9.51%. The business had revenue of $119.57 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $117.97 million. Research analysts predict that Peoples Bancorp Inc. will post 3.28 earnings per share for the current year.

Peoples Bancorp Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, February 17th. Investors of record on Monday, February 2nd were paid a $0.41 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, February 2nd. This represents a $1.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.1%. Peoples Bancorp’s payout ratio is 54.85%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Peoples Bancorp news, EVP Michael Ryan Kirkham sold 986 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $32.47, for a total transaction of $32,015.42. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 16,289 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $528,903.83. This trade represents a 5.71% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director Carol A. Schneeberger sold 1,895 shares of Peoples Bancorp stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $31.37, for a total value of $59,446.15. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 19,309 shares in the company, valued at $605,723.33. This represents a 8.94% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 5,881 shares of company stock valued at $187,392. 3.31% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Peoples Bancorp

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Larson Financial Group LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Peoples Bancorp during the third quarter valued at about $30,000. Quarry LP purchased a new position in shares of Peoples Bancorp in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $35,000. State of Alaska Department of Revenue bought a new position in shares of Peoples Bancorp during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $42,000. Strs Ohio purchased a new stake in Peoples Bancorp during the first quarter valued at approximately $62,000. Finally, Accredited Wealth Management LLC boosted its stake in Peoples Bancorp by 524.0% in the third quarter. Accredited Wealth Management LLC now owns 2,184 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $65,000 after acquiring an additional 1,834 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 60.68% of the company’s stock.

Peoples Bancorp Company Profile

Peoples Bancorp, Inc is a bank holding company headquartered in Marietta, Ohio. Through its subsidiary Peoples Bank, the company provides a comprehensive range of commercial and consumer banking services designed to serve individuals, businesses and institutional clients. Its deposit products include checking and savings accounts, money market accounts, certificates of deposit and digital banking platforms that enable secure online and mobile access.

On the lending side, Peoples Bancorp offers commercial and industrial loans, commercial real estate financing, construction and agricultural lending, as well as residential mortgage products.