Ames National Co. (NASDAQ:ATLO) Sees Large Increase in Short Interest

Ames National Co. (NASDAQ:ATLO) saw a significant increase in short interest during the month of January. As of January 15th, there was short interest totalling 68,900 shares, an increase of 38.6% from the December 31st total of 49,700 shares. Currently, 0.8% of the shares of the company are short sold. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 21,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 3.3 days.

Ames National Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:ATLO traded down $0.02 on Friday, reaching $18.13. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 13,543 shares, compared to its average volume of 21,418. The stock has a market capitalization of $162.99 million, a P/E ratio of 15.90 and a beta of 0.56. Ames National has a 52-week low of $15.69 and a 52-week high of $22.19. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $16.98 and its two-hundred day moving average is $17.98.

Ames National (NASDAQ:ATLO) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Friday, January 24th. The financial services provider reported $0.39 earnings per share for the quarter. Ames National had a net margin of 11.05% and a return on equity of 5.94%.

Ames National Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 14th. Investors of record on Friday, January 31st will be paid a $0.20 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, January 31st. This represents a $0.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.41%. Ames National’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 70.18%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Ames National

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted its holdings in shares of Ames National by 114.6% in the third quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 14,327 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $261,000 after purchasing an additional 7,650 shares in the last quarter. Barclays PLC increased its stake in shares of Ames National by 299.1% during the 3rd quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 11,418 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $208,000 after purchasing an additional 8,557 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its position in shares of Ames National by 2.4% during the 3rd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 204,642 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $3,731,000 after purchasing an additional 4,843 shares during the last quarter. Finally, State Street Corp grew its holdings in Ames National by 0.9% during the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 123,550 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $2,252,000 after buying an additional 1,069 shares during 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.