Magnetar Financial LLC Buys 18,133 Shares of The First Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:FBMS)

Magnetar Financial LLC grew its stake in shares of The First Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:FBMS) by 2.5% in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 755,555 shares of the bank’s stock after acquiring an additional 18,133 shares during the period. Magnetar Financial LLC’s holdings in First Bancshares were worth $26,444,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Lord Abbett & CO. LLC bought a new stake in shares of First Bancshares during the third quarter valued at approximately $56,256,000. State Street Corp increased its holdings in First Bancshares by 3.0% during the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 971,246 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $31,206,000 after buying an additional 28,215 shares during the period. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased its holdings in First Bancshares by 7.6% during the fourth quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 967,043 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $33,847,000 after buying an additional 68,396 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in First Bancshares by 1.9% during the third quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 675,448 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $21,706,000 after buying an additional 12,567 shares during the period. Finally, Citigroup Inc. increased its holdings in First Bancshares by 1,454.0% during the third quarter. Citigroup Inc. now owns 619,730 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $19,912,000 after buying an additional 579,851 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 69.95% of the company’s stock.

First Bancshares Price Performance

NASDAQ FBMS opened at $34.99 on Thursday. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $35.99 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $34.90. The company has a current ratio of 0.84, a quick ratio of 0.84 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33. The First Bancshares, Inc. has a 12-month low of $22.96 and a 12-month high of $39.21. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.09 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.34 and a beta of 0.92.

First Bancshares Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, February 26th. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 10th were issued a $0.25 dividend. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.86%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, February 10th. First Bancshares’s dividend payout ratio is currently 40.98%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

FBMS has been the topic of several research reports. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lifted their price objective on shares of First Bancshares from $40.00 to $45.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, December 4th. StockNews.com initiated coverage on shares of First Bancshares in a report on Thursday, March 13th. They set a “sell” rating on the stock.

First Bancshares Company 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.