First Community Bankshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:FCBC) Sees Large Growth in Short Interest

First Community Bankshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:FCBC) was the target of a large growth in short interest in the month of June. As of June 15th, there was short interest totalling 145,600 shares, a growth of 5.3% from the May 31st total of 138,300 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 27,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 5.4 days. Approximately 0.9% of the shares of the company are short sold.

First Community Bankshares Stock Down 1.5 %

FCBC stock opened at $36.10 on Friday. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $34.69 and a 200 day simple moving average of $34.34. The company has a market capitalization of $662.58 million, a P/E ratio of 13.32 and a beta of 0.53. First Community Bankshares has a fifty-two week low of $28.13 and a fifty-two week high of $39.23.

First Community Bankshares (NASDAQ:FCBC) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 23rd. The bank reported $0.71 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.60 by $0.11. The business had revenue of $40.89 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $39.72 million. First Community Bankshares had a net margin of 27.10% and a return on equity of 11.04%. Equities analysts anticipate that First Community Bankshares will post 2.59 EPS for the current year.

First Community Bankshares Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 24th. Investors of record on Friday, May 10th were issued a dividend of $0.29 per share. This represents a $1.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.21%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, May 9th. First Community Bankshares’s payout ratio is currently 42.80%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on FCBC shares. Hovde Group initiated coverage on shares of First Community Bankshares in a report on Friday, June 28th. They set a “market perform” rating and a $38.00 price target for the company. StockNews.com upgraded shares of First Community Bankshares from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, April 27th.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On First Community Bankshares

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. GAMMA Investing LLC acquired a new position in shares of First Community Bankshares in the 4th quarter worth $49,000. Mather Group LLC. acquired a new position in shares of First Community Bankshares in the 1st quarter valued at $128,000. Gratus Capital LLC purchased a new position in First Community Bankshares in the 4th quarter worth about $237,000. SG Americas Securities LLC raised its holdings in First Community Bankshares by 17.9% during the 4th quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 9,700 shares of the bank’s stock worth $360,000 after buying an additional 1,472 shares during the period. Finally, Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD lifted its stake in First Community Bankshares by 4.4% during the first quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 12,781 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $443,000 after buying an additional 539 shares in the last quarter. 34.95% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About First Community Bankshares

First Community Bankshares, Inc operates as the financial holding company for First Community Bank that provides various banking products and services. It offers demand deposit accounts, savings and money market accounts, certificates of deposit, and individual retirement plans; and commercial, consumer real estate, and consumer and other loans.