Insider Buying: First Bancorp (NASDAQ:FBNC) Director Purchases 231 Shares of Stock

by · The Cerbat Gem

First Bancorp (NASDAQ:FBNCGet Free Report) Director Katharine Caldwell Nevin acquired 231 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, September 11th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $64.23 per share, with a total value of $14,837.13. Following the transaction, the director owned 1,094 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $70,267.62. This trade represents a 26.77% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink.

First Bancorp Price Performance

Shares of FBNC stock traded down $1.48 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, hitting $62.62. 369,224 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 234,068. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $64.28 and a 200 day moving average of $60.53. 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 has a 52-week low of $45.96 and a 52-week high of $66.78. The company has a market cap of $2.59 billion, a PE ratio of 19.45 and a beta of 0.80.

First Bancorp (NASDAQ:FBNCGet Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 22nd. The financial services provider reported $1.22 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.15 by $0.07. The firm had revenue of $127.30 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $126.07 million. First Bancorp had a return on equity of 11.31% and a net margin of 22.12%. Research analysts anticipate that First Bancorp will post 4.69 earnings per share for the current year.

First Bancorp Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, October 23rd. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, September 30th will be given a $0.24 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, September 30th. This represents a $0.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.5%. First Bancorp’s payout ratio is 29.81%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On First Bancorp

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of FBNC. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC purchased a new stake in shares of First Bancorp in the second quarter valued at about $58,000. Squarepoint Ops LLC raised its stake in First Bancorp by 31.3% during the second quarter. Squarepoint Ops LLC now owns 20,320 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $1,299,000 after purchasing an additional 4,849 shares during the period. Wellington Management Group LLP acquired a new position in First Bancorp in the 2nd quarter valued at about $11,049,000. Beacon Pointe Advisors LLC acquired a new position in First Bancorp in the 2nd quarter valued at about $3,966,000. Finally, United Capital Financial Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of First Bancorp in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $287,000. 68.36% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Raymond James Financial increased their target price on First Bancorp from $68.00 to $75.00 and gave the company a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, July 16th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b)” rating on shares of First Bancorp in a report on Thursday, August 13th. Brean Capital assumed coverage on shares of First Bancorp in a research report on Monday, June 8th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $65.75 price objective for the company. Piper Sandler increased their price objective on shares of First Bancorp from $64.00 to $65.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lifted their target price on shares of First Bancorp from $67.00 to $70.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 4th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have given a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $68.94.

Check Out Our Latest 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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