Gardner Lewis Asset Management L P Increases Stake in The First Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:FBMS)

Gardner Lewis Asset Management L P increased its position in The First Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:FBMS) by 346.5% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 360,555 shares of the bank’s stock after buying an additional 279,812 shares during the quarter. First Bancshares accounts for 3.1% of Gardner Lewis Asset Management L P’s portfolio, making the stock its 9th largest position. Gardner Lewis Asset Management L P owned about 1.16% of First Bancshares worth $12,619,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. grew its holdings in First Bancshares by 4.3% in the 3rd quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 898,647 shares of the bank’s stock worth $28,874,000 after acquiring an additional 37,167 shares during the last quarter. Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd purchased a new position in First Bancshares during the 3rd quarter valued at $389,000. Quantbot Technologies LP purchased a new stake in shares of First Bancshares in the 3rd quarter worth about $308,000. FMR LLC boosted its stake in shares of First Bancshares by 50.8% during the 3rd quarter. FMR LLC now owns 3,194 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $103,000 after purchasing an additional 1,076 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund purchased a new position in shares of First Bancshares during the third quarter valued at about $954,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 69.95% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts have weighed in on the company. StockNews.com started coverage on First Bancshares in a research report on Friday, March 21st. They set a “sell” rating on the stock. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lifted their price target on First Bancshares from $40.00 to $45.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 4th.

First Bancshares Trading Down 1.2 %

NASDAQ FBMS opened at $35.06 on Friday. The First Bancshares, Inc. has a 12 month low of $22.96 and a 12 month high of $39.21. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $36.10 and its 200-day moving average price is $34.98. The stock has a market cap of $1.10 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.37 and a beta of 0.92. The company has a current ratio of 0.84, a quick ratio of 0.84 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33.

First Bancshares Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, February 26th. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 10th were paid a $0.25 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, February 10th. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.85%. First Bancshares’s dividend payout ratio is presently 40.98%.

First Bancshares Profile

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.