The First Bancshares, Inc. (FBMS) To Go Ex-Dividend on May 6th

The First Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:FBMS) declared a quarterly dividend on Wednesday, April 24th, Zacks reports. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, May 7th will be paid a dividend of 0.25 per share by the bank on Thursday, May 23rd. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.04%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, May 6th.

First Bancshares has increased its dividend payment by an average of 28.9% annually over the last three years and has increased its dividend every year for the last 7 years. First Bancshares has a dividend payout ratio of 37.6% indicating that its dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings. Equities research analysts expect First Bancshares to earn $2.68 per share next year, which means the company should continue to be able to cover its $1.00 annual dividend with an expected future payout ratio of 37.3%.

First Bancshares Price Performance

Shares of FBMS opened at $24.77 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54, a quick ratio of 0.85 and a current ratio of 0.85. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $24.66 and a 200-day moving average price of $25.89. First Bancshares has a fifty-two week low of $22.82 and a fifty-two week high of $32.06. The stock has a market capitalization of $773.32 million, a PE ratio of 9.83 and a beta of 0.90.

First Bancshares (NASDAQ:FBMS) last posted its earnings results on Monday, April 29th. The bank reported $0.65 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.60 by $0.05. First Bancshares had a return on equity of 9.85% and a net margin of 20.00%. The company had revenue of $104.34 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $69.30 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $0.86 earnings per share. Equities analysts predict that First Bancshares will post 2.53 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts have commented on the company. Stephens reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and set a $34.00 price target on shares of First Bancshares in a research report on Wednesday, January 17th. TheStreet downgraded shares of First Bancshares from a “b-” rating to a “c+” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 28th. StockNews.com upgraded shares of First Bancshares from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, April 29th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reiterated a “market perform” rating and issued a $28.00 price objective on shares of First Bancshares in a research note on Friday, January 26th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, First Bancshares presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $32.00.

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.