Ames National Co. (NASDAQ:ATLO) Short Interest Down 29.8% in February

Ames National Co. (NASDAQ:ATLO) was the recipient of a large decrease in short interest during the month of February. As of February 15th, there was short interest totalling 69,100 shares, a decrease of 29.8% from the January 31st total of 98,500 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 20,900 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 3.3 days. Approximately 0.8% of the shares of the company are sold short.

Ames National Stock Down 0.5 %

Shares of Ames National stock traded down $0.09 during trading on Tuesday, reaching $18.54. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 5,534 shares, compared to its average volume of 16,722. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $17.61 and a 200-day moving average price of $17.69. The company has a market capitalization of $166.71 million, a P/E ratio of 16.26 and a beta of 0.57. Ames National has a 12-month low of $15.69 and a 12-month high of $22.03.

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

Ames National Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 13th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 30th will be paid a $0.20 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 30th. This represents a $0.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.31%. Ames National’s payout ratio is currently 70.18%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Ames National

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in ATLO. Wealthfront Advisers LLC purchased a new stake in Ames National in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $1,875,000. Ames National Corp purchased a new stake in shares of Ames National during the 4th quarter valued at $403,000. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership increased its holdings in shares of Ames National by 38.9% during the 4th quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 66,251 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $1,089,000 after buying an additional 18,556 shares during the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised its position in shares of Ames National by 120.5% in the 4th quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 31,596 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $519,000 after buying an additional 17,269 shares during the period. Finally, Millennium Management LLC acquired a new position in Ames National in the fourth quarter valued at $276,000. 26.47% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.