First Mid Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:FMBH) Short Interest Up 12.1% in June

First Mid Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:FMBH) was the target of a significant growth in short interest in the month of June. As of June 15th, there was short interest totalling 217,400 shares, a growth of 12.1% from the May 31st total of 194,000 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 45,800 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 4.7 days.

First Mid Bancshares Price Performance

FMBH traded down $0.26 during trading on Wednesday, hitting $32.48. 41,888 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 53,571. The company has a market cap of $776.27 million, a PE ratio of 10.56 and a beta of 0.90. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $31.77 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $31.78. First Mid Bancshares has a 1 year low of $23.54 and a 1 year high of $35.83. The company has a current ratio of 0.90, a quick ratio of 0.90 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.46.

First Mid Bancshares (NASDAQ:FMBH) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, April 24th. The bank reported $0.93 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.86 by $0.07. The company had revenue of $79.95 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $80.20 million. First Mid Bancshares had a net margin of 17.01% and a return on equity of 10.56%. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that First Mid Bancshares will post 3.23 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

First Mid Bancshares Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 31st. Investors of record on Wednesday, May 15th were paid a dividend of $0.23 per share. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, May 14th. This represents a $0.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.83%. First Mid Bancshares’s payout ratio is 29.68%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On First Mid Bancshares

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. ICA Group Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in First Mid Bancshares in the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. EntryPoint Capital LLC bought a new position in shares of First Mid Bancshares during the 1st quarter worth approximately $29,000. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank raised its stake in shares of First Mid Bancshares by 48.1% during the 4th quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank now owns 5,370 shares of the bank’s stock worth $186,000 after acquiring an additional 1,743 shares in the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. bought a new position in shares of First Mid Bancshares during the 4th quarter worth approximately $208,000. Finally, Arizona State Retirement System bought a new position in shares of First Mid Bancshares during the 4th quarter worth approximately $208,000. 47.57% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have weighed in on FMBH shares. Hovde Group started coverage on shares of First Mid Bancshares in a research report on Wednesday, June 26th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $35.00 price target on the stock. Piper Sandler reduced their price objective on shares of First Mid Bancshares from $39.00 to $38.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, April 29th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, First Mid Bancshares presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $36.60.

First Mid Bancshares Company Profile

First Mid Bancshares, Inc, a financial holding company, provides community banking products and services to commercial, retail, and agricultural customers in the United States. It accepts various deposit products, such as demand deposits, savings accounts, money market deposits, and time deposits. The company's loan products include commercial real estate, commercial and industrial, agricultural and agricultural real estate, residential real estate, and consumer loans, as well as construction and land development, 1-4 family residential properties, and multifamily residential properties loans; and other loans comprising loans to municipalities to support community projects, such as infrastructure improvements or equipment purchases.