StockNews.com Initiates Coverage on First Bancshares (NASDAQ:FBMS)

StockNews.com began coverage on shares of First Bancshares (NASDAQ:FBMS) in a report released on Friday. The brokerage issued a sell rating on the bank’s stock.

FBMS has been the subject of several other research reports. Janney Montgomery Scott lowered First Bancshares from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, October 24th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lifted their target price on First Bancshares from $40.00 to $45.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, December 4th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have issued a hold rating and one has issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $38.75.

First Bancshares Trading Up 0.1 %

FBMS opened at $36.05 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $1.12 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.31 and a beta of 0.94. The company has a quick ratio of 0.84, a current ratio of 0.84 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33. First Bancshares has a 52 week low of $22.96 and a 52 week high of $39.08. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $35.80 and its two-hundred day moving average is $33.60.

Institutional Trading of First Bancshares

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP lifted its position in shares of First Bancshares by 7.0% during the 2nd quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 1,404,491 shares of the bank’s stock worth $36,487,000 after purchasing an additional 91,314 shares during the last quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC lifted its holdings in shares of First Bancshares by 4.6% in the 2nd quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC now owns 19,503 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $499,000 after buying an additional 861 shares during the period. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans increased its holdings in First Bancshares by 16.3% in the second quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans now owns 119,512 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $3,105,000 after buying an additional 16,723 shares in the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of First Bancshares by 53.2% during the second quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 68,344 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $1,776,000 after buying an additional 23,747 shares during the period. Finally, Susquehanna Fundamental Investments LLC grew its stake in First Bancshares by 45.7% in the 2nd quarter. Susquehanna Fundamental Investments LLC now owns 25,986 shares of the bank’s stock worth $675,000 after acquiring an additional 8,145 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 69.95% of the company’s stock.

About First Bancshares

The First Bancshares, Inc operates as the bank holding company for The First Bank that provides general commercial and retail banking services. The company operates through three segments: Commercial/Retail Bank, Mortgage Banking Division, and Holding Company. It offers deposit services, including checking, NOW, and savings accounts; other time deposits, such as daily money market accounts and longer-term certificates of deposit; and individual retirement and health savings accounts.