First Bancshares (NASDAQ:FBMS) Now Covered by StockNews.com

Equities research analysts at StockNews.com began coverage on shares of First Bancshares (NASDAQ:FBMS) in a report issued on Tuesday. The brokerage set a “sell” rating on the bank’s stock.

Separately, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods boosted their price objective on First Bancshares from $40.00 to $45.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, December 4th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have issued a hold rating and one has given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $38.75.

First Bancshares Stock Down 1.0 %

NASDAQ FBMS opened at $35.29 on Tuesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.10 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.46 and a beta of 0.94. First Bancshares has a 52 week low of $22.96 and a 52 week high of $39.21. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33, a quick ratio of 0.84 and a current ratio of 0.84. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $36.12 and a 200-day moving average of $34.70.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On First Bancshares

A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Principal Financial Group Inc. bought a new position in First Bancshares during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $846,000. JPMorgan Chase & Co. grew its stake in First Bancshares by 5.9% in the third quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 475,014 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $15,262,000 after acquiring an additional 26,349 shares during the period. State Street Corp increased its stake in First Bancshares by 3.0% during the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 971,246 shares of the bank’s stock worth $31,206,000 after purchasing an additional 28,215 shares in the last quarter. Wolverine Asset Management LLC bought a new position in First Bancshares during the 3rd quarter worth about $1,054,000. Finally, Barclays PLC raised its holdings in shares of First Bancshares by 48.1% in the third quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 86,748 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $2,787,000 after purchasing an additional 28,184 shares during the last quarter. 69.95% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.