Short Interest in First Bancorp (NASDAQ:FBNC) Increases By 6.8%

First Bancorp (NASDAQ:FBNC – Get Free Report) saw a large growth in short interest in the month of September. As of September 15th, there was short interest totalling 1,060,000 shares, a growth of 6.8% from the August 31st total of 992,700 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 205,300 shares, the days-to-cover ratio [...]

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First Bancorp ( NASDAQ:FBNC – Get Free Report ) saw a large growth in short interest in the month of September. As of September 15th, there was short interest totalling 1,060,000 shares, a growth of 6.8% from the August 31st total of 992,700 shares.

Based on an average daily trading volume, of 205,300 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 5.2 days. Insider Buying and Selling at First Bancorp In other First Bancorp news, Director Suzanne S.



Deferie sold 17,750 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, September 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $43.96, for a total value of $780,290.

00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 67,654 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,974,069.84.

The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link . In other news, Director Suzanne S. Deferie sold 17,750 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, September 20th.

The shares were sold at an average price of $43.96, for a total transaction of $780,290.00.

Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 67,654 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,974,069.84. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website .

Also, Director Mason Y. Garrett sold 22,800 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, July 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $43.

41, for a total transaction of $989,748.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 196,416 shares in the company, valued at $8,526,418.

56. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . In the last three months, insiders have sold 42,586 shares of company stock valued at $1,859,154.

3.65% of the stock is owned by company insiders. Institutional Inflows and Outflows Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock.

PNC Financial Services Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of First Bancorp by 5.4% during the 4th quarter.

PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 5,562 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $206,000 after acquiring an additional 283 shares during the period. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System increased its position in First Bancorp by 1.

5% during the 2nd quarter. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System now owns 20,700 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $661,000 after purchasing an additional 300 shares in the last quarter. CANADA LIFE ASSURANCE Co increased its position in First Bancorp by 1.

2% during the 1st quarter. CANADA LIFE ASSURANCE Co now owns 33,399 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $1,204,000 after purchasing an additional 394 shares in the last quarter. Diversified Trust Co increased its position in First Bancorp by 6.

2% during the 2nd quarter. Diversified Trust Co now owns 8,006 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $256,000 after purchasing an additional 466 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Texas Permanent School Fund Corp increased its position in First Bancorp by 1.

4% during the 1st quarter. Texas Permanent School Fund Corp now owns 35,979 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $1,300,000 after purchasing an additional 482 shares in the last quarter. 68.

36% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Get Our Latest Report on First Bancorp First Bancorp Trading Down 3.1 % NASDAQ:FBNC traded down $1.

27 on Tuesday, reaching $40.32. The stock had a trading volume of 135,630 shares, compared to its average volume of 163,269.

The company has a market cap of $1.66 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.53 and a beta of 1.

03. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07, a current ratio of 0.

82 and a quick ratio of 0.82. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $41.

31 and its two-hundred day moving average is $35.71. First Bancorp has a 12-month low of $26.

00 and a 12-month high of $45.41. First Bancorp ( NASDAQ:FBNC – Get Free Report ) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, July 24th.

The financial services provider reported $0.70 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.59 by $0.

11. The company had revenue of $143.42 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $94.

00 million. First Bancorp had a net margin of 20.17% and a return on equity of 8.

39%. Equities analysts expect that First Bancorp will post 2.68 EPS for the current fiscal year.

First Bancorp Dividend Announcement The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, October 25th. Shareholders of record on Monday, September 30th will be issued a $0.22 dividend.

The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, September 30th. This represents a $0.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.

18%. First Bancorp’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 31.77%.

About First Bancorp ( Get Free Report ) First Bancorp operates as the bank holding company for First Bank that provides banking products and services for individuals and small to medium-sized businesses. The company accepts deposit products, such as checking, savings, and money market accounts, as well as time deposits, including certificate of deposits and individual retirement accounts. See Also Receive News & Ratings for First Bancorp Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for First Bancorp and related companies with MarketBeat.

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