Affinity Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:AFBI) Sees Large Growth in Short Interest

Affinity Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:AFBI) was the recipient of a large growth in short interest in the month of March. As of March 13th, there was short interest totaling 5,831 shares, a growth of 24.5% from the February 26th total of 4,683 shares. Currently, 0.1% of the company’s stock are sold short. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 2,581 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 2.3 days.

Affinity Bancshares Stock Performance

AFBI opened at $19.41 on Monday. The company has a market capitalization of $118.21 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.05 and a beta of 0.23. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $20.01 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $19.84. Affinity Bancshares has a 1 year low of $17.00 and a 1 year high of $22.50. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.43, a current ratio of 1.12 and a quick ratio of 1.12.

Affinity Bancshares (NASDAQ:AFBI) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Friday, January 23rd. The company reported $0.40 earnings per share for the quarter. Affinity Bancshares had a return on equity of 7.25% and a net margin of 15.74%.The company had revenue of $8.57 million during the quarter.

Affinity Bancshares declared that its board has authorized a share repurchase program on Wednesday, January 7th that permits the company to buyback $300,000.00 in shares. This buyback authorization permits the company to buy up to 0.2% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are generally an indication that the company’s leadership believes its stock is undervalued.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Affinity Bancshares in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Hold rating, Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Affinity Bancshares presently has a consensus rating of “Hold”.

Institutional Trading of Affinity Bancshares

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in AFBI. FNY Investment Advisers LLC bought a new stake in shares of Affinity Bancshares in the third quarter worth $53,000. Maltese Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in Affinity Bancshares by 5.5% during the fourth quarter. Maltese Capital Management LLC now owns 56,439 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,152,000 after purchasing an additional 2,959 shares during the last quarter. Susquehanna International Group LLP grew its position in Affinity Bancshares by 17.9% in the third quarter. Susquehanna International Group LLP now owns 25,346 shares of the company’s stock valued at $500,000 after purchasing an additional 3,850 shares in the last quarter. Jane Street Group LLC bought a new position in Affinity Bancshares in the first quarter valued at $251,000. Finally, Salzhauer Michael acquired a new stake in Affinity Bancshares in the 2nd quarter valued at $276,000. 39.31% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Affinity Bancshares

Affinity Bancshares, Inc is a bank holding company whose primary subsidiary, Affinity Bank, offers a full range of financial products and services to individuals and businesses. Founded to serve the evolving banking needs of its communities, the company provides demand, savings and time deposit accounts, along with treasury management and online banking capabilities. It caters to retail and commercial clients seeking deposit, cash management and payment solutions.

On the lending side, Affinity Bank extends credit through commercial real estate loans, small business administration loans and traditional commercial lines of credit.