Key Points
- Director buying: First Bancorp Director Katharine Caldwell Nevin purchased 231 shares at an average price of $64.23, investing $14,837 and increasing her ownership by 26.77% to 1,094 shares.
- Financial performance: First Bancorp reported quarterly EPS of $1.22, exceeding estimates by $0.07, while revenue of $127.30 million also surpassed analyst expectations.
- Shareholder returns and outlook: The company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.24, equivalent to a 1.5% yield. Analysts maintain a “Moderate Buy” consensus with an average price target of $68.94, compared with the stock’s reported $62.62 price.
First Bancorp (NASDAQ:FBNC - Get Free Report) Director Katharine Caldwell Nevin purchased 231 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Friday, September 11th. The shares were bought at an average price of $64.23 per share, for a total transaction of $14,837.13. Following the acquisition, the director owned 1,094 shares in the company, valued at $70,267.62. This trade represents a 26.77% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link.
First Bancorp Stock Down 2.3%
Shares of NASDAQ:FBNC opened at $62.62 on Thursday. First Bancorp has a fifty-two week low of $45.96 and a fifty-two week high of $66.78. The firm's 50 day moving average price is $64.28 and its 200 day moving average price is $60.54. The stock has a market cap of $2.59 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.45 and a beta of 0.80. The company has a quick ratio of 0.85, a current ratio of 0.85 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.04.
First Bancorp (NASDAQ:FBNC - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, July 22nd. The financial services provider reported $1.22 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.15 by $0.07. First Bancorp had a return on equity of 11.31% and a net margin of 22.12%.The business had revenue of $127.30 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $126.07 million. As a group, equities research analysts predict that First Bancorp will post 4.69 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
First Bancorp Announces Dividend
The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, October 23rd. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, September 30th will be paid a $0.24 dividend. This represents a $0.96 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.5%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, September 30th. First Bancorp's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 29.81%.
Institutional Trading of First Bancorp
A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund increased its stake in First Bancorp by 2.1% during the 4th quarter. Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund now owns 9,532 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $484,000 after purchasing an additional 200 shares in the last quarter. SouthState Bank Corp lifted its position in First Bancorp by 1.5% during the 4th quarter. SouthState Bank Corp now owns 13,189 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $670,000 after buying an additional 200 shares in the last quarter. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund grew its stake in First Bancorp by 1.1% in the first quarter. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund now owns 22,017 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $1,241,000 after purchasing an additional 242 shares in the last quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. acquired a new position in First Bancorp during the second quarter worth $34,000. Finally, Summit Securities Group LLC acquired a new stake in First Bancorp in the 1st quarter valued at about $34,000. 68.36% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.
Analysts Set New Price Targets
FBNC has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upped their price objective on First Bancorp from $67.00 to $70.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Tuesday, August 4th. Brean Capital assumed coverage on First Bancorp in a report on Monday, June 8th. They set a "neutral" rating and a $65.75 target price for the company. Piper Sandler increased their target price on shares of First Bancorp from $64.00 to $65.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. Raymond James Financial raised their price target on First Bancorp from $68.00 to $75.00 and gave the stock a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Thursday, July 16th. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a "buy (b)" rating on shares of First Bancorp in a research report on Thursday, August 13th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have issued a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, First Bancorp has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $68.94.
View Our Latest Research Report on First Bancorp
First Bancorp Company Profile
(
Get Free Report)
First Bancorp is a bank holding company headquartered in Southern Pines, North Carolina. Through its principal subsidiary, First Bank, the company provides community banking services to individuals, businesses and institutions.
First Bank offers a range of financial products, including checking and savings accounts, certificates of deposit, consumer and commercial loans, residential mortgages, and agricultural lending. Its services also include online and mobile banking, treasury management, wealth management and other financial solutions for business and personal customers.
Founded in 1983, First Bancorp has expanded its banking operations across North Carolina and neighboring markets in South Carolina and Virginia.
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