First Bancshares (NASDAQ:FBMS) Coverage Initiated at StockNews.com

Analysts at StockNews.com started coverage on shares of First Bancshares (NASDAQ:FBMS) in a research note issued on Saturday. The firm set a “sell” rating on the bank’s stock.

Separately, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods increased their price target on shares of First Bancshares from $40.00 to $45.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 4th.

First Bancshares Trading Down 3.7 %

NASDAQ FBMS opened at $33.74 on Friday. First Bancshares has a 12 month low of $22.96 and a 12 month high of $39.21. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $36.06 and a 200 day simple moving average of $35.04. 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 company has a market capitalization of $1.05 billion, a PE ratio of 13.83 and a beta of 0.92.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On First Bancshares

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Lord Abbett & CO. LLC acquired a new position in shares of First Bancshares in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $56,256,000. Susquehanna International Group LLP lifted its stake in First Bancshares by 436.7% in the fourth quarter. Susquehanna International Group LLP now owns 376,549 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $13,179,000 after buying an additional 306,390 shares in the last quarter. Gardner Lewis Asset Management L P boosted its holdings in shares of First Bancshares by 346.5% in the fourth quarter. Gardner Lewis Asset Management L P now owns 360,555 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $12,619,000 after buying an additional 279,812 shares during the period. Westchester Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of First Bancshares during the third quarter worth $8,249,000. Finally, Strategic Financial Concepts LLC acquired a new stake in shares of First Bancshares during the fourth quarter worth $6,296,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 69.95% of the company’s 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.