Ames National Co. (NASDAQ:ATLO) Short Interest Down 21.6% in September

Ames National Co. (NASDAQ:ATLO) was the target of a large decrease in short interest in the month of September. As of September 30th, there was short interest totalling 63,300 shares, a decrease of 21.6% from the September 15th total of 80,700 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 16,400 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 3.9 days. Currently, 0.7% of the shares of the company are short sold.

Ames National Trading Up 2.6 %

Shares of ATLO opened at $17.70 on Friday. Ames National has a 52 week low of $15.01 and a 52 week high of $22.50. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $18.25 and its 200 day simple moving average is $19.51.

Ames National (NASDAQ:ATLO) last posted its earnings results on Friday, August 9th. The financial services provider reported $0.24 EPS for the quarter. The company had revenue of $13.49 million for the quarter. Ames National had a return on equity of 5.92% and a net margin of 10.77%.

Ames National Cuts Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, November 1st will be given a dividend of $0.20 per share. This represents a $0.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.52%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, November 1st. Ames National’s payout ratio is 100.93%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, StockNews.com raised shares of Ames National from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, June 27th.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Ames National

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Choreo LLC bought a new position in Ames National during the second quarter worth about $807,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp grew its position in shares of Ames National by 4.9% during the 2nd quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 37,235 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $763,000 after purchasing an additional 1,737 shares in the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its position in shares of 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 increased its holdings in shares of 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 worth $86,000 after purchasing an additional 1,832 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 26.47% of the company’s stock.

Ames National Company Profile

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.