First Bancshares (NASDAQ:FBMS) Upgraded to Hold by StockNews.com

First Bancshares (NASDAQ:FBMS) was upgraded by research analysts at StockNews.com from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Monday.

FBMS has been the subject of several other research reports. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods restated a “market perform” rating and issued a $28.00 price objective on shares of First Bancshares in a research report on Friday, January 26th. Stephens reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and issued a $34.00 target price on shares of First Bancshares in a research note on Wednesday, January 17th. Finally, TheStreet downgraded shares of First Bancshares from a “b-” rating to a “c+” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 28th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, First Bancshares has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $32.00.

First Bancshares Price Performance

NASDAQ FBMS traded up $0.23 on Monday, hitting $24.13. 146,598 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 161,213. The company has a current ratio of 0.85, a quick ratio of 0.85 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54. The company has a market cap of $753.34 million, a P/E ratio of 9.58 and a beta of 0.88. First Bancshares has a 1-year low of $22.82 and a 1-year high of $32.06. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $24.68 and a two-hundred day moving average of $25.95.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On First Bancshares

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Raymond James & Associates lifted its stake in shares of First Bancshares by 69.9% during the 3rd quarter. Raymond James & Associates now owns 16,849 shares of the bank’s stock worth $454,000 after buying an additional 6,934 shares during the last quarter. Swiss National Bank lifted its holdings in First Bancshares by 0.8% during the 3rd quarter. Swiss National Bank now owns 61,430 shares of the bank’s stock worth $1,657,000 after purchasing an additional 500 shares during the last quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. boosted its stake in First Bancshares by 18.6% in the 3rd quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 13,388 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $361,000 after purchasing an additional 2,102 shares during the period. Alps Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in First Bancshares in the 3rd quarter valued at $327,000. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of First Bancshares by 0.8% during the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 1,530,263 shares of the bank’s stock worth $41,271,000 after buying an additional 12,212 shares in the last quarter. 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.