Short Interest in Ames National Co. (NASDAQ:ATLO) Decreases By 8.1%

Ames National Co. (NASDAQ:ATLO) was the target of a significant decline in short interest in May. As of May 31st, there was short interest totalling 60,200 shares, a decline of 8.1% from the May 15th total of 65,500 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 11,500 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 5.2 days. Approximately 0.7% of the shares of the company are sold short.

Ames National Stock Performance

Ames National stock traded up $0.11 during trading hours on Tuesday, reaching $20.52. 4,284 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 12,260. The stock has a market cap of $184.52 million, a P/E ratio of 18.38 and a beta of 0.57. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $20.08 and its 200 day moving average is $19.98. Ames National has a 52-week low of $15.01 and a 52-week high of $22.50.

Ames National (NASDAQ:ATLO) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Friday, April 19th. The financial services provider reported $0.26 EPS for the quarter. The firm had revenue of $9.21 million during the quarter. Ames National had a net margin of 11.49% and a return on equity of 6.27%.

Ames National Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, August 15th. Investors of record on Thursday, August 1st will be issued a dividend of $0.27 per share. This represents a $1.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.26%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, July 31st. Ames National’s dividend payout ratio is currently 97.30%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Separately, TheStreet downgraded shares of Ames National from a “b-” rating to a “c+” rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 13th.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Ames National

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. CWM LLC grew its stake in shares of Ames National by 2,044.0% during the 4th quarter. CWM LLC now owns 1,608 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $34,000 after buying an additional 1,533 shares during the period. SG Americas Securities LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Ames National during the 4th quarter worth about $100,000. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its position in Ames National by 0.6% during the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 489,890 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $9,886,000 after purchasing an additional 2,965 shares in the last quarter. Finally, BNP Paribas Financial Markets lifted its position in Ames National by 75.7% during the first quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 4,251 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $86,000 after buying an additional 1,832 shares in the last quarter. 26.47% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Ames National

Ames National Corporation operates as a multi-bank holding company that provides banking products and services primarily in Boone, Clarke, Hancock, Marshall, Polk, Story, and Union counties in central, north central, and south-central Iowa. The company accepts various deposit products, including checking and savings accounts; and time deposits, such as money market accounts and certificates of deposit.