First Community Co. (NASDAQ:FCCO) Declares Quarterly Dividend of $0.14

First Community Co. (NASDAQ:FCCO) announced a quarterly dividend on Thursday, April 18th, Wall Street Journal reports. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, April 30th will be given a dividend of 0.14 per share by the bank on Tuesday, May 14th. This represents a $0.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.51%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, April 29th.

First Community has raised its dividend by an average of 5.3% annually over the last three years and has raised its dividend annually for the last 2 consecutive years. First Community has a dividend payout ratio of 29.3% meaning its dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings. Research analysts expect First Community to earn $1.92 per share next year, which means the company should continue to be able to cover its $0.56 annual dividend with an expected future payout ratio of 29.2%.

First Community Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:FCCO remained flat at $15.95 during trading on Thursday. The stock had a trading volume of 17,882 shares, compared to its average volume of 21,742. First Community has a 52-week low of $15.40 and a 52-week high of $22.00. The company has a current ratio of 0.78, a quick ratio of 0.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.80. The stock has a market cap of $121.70 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.39 and a beta of 0.43. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $16.85 and a 200-day simple moving average of $17.93.

First Community (NASDAQ:FCCO) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, April 17th. The bank reported $0.34 EPS for the quarter, meeting analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.34. First Community had a return on equity of 9.43% and a net margin of 14.25%. On average, equities research analysts forecast that First Community will post 1.57 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On First Community

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. UBS Group AG lifted its stake in First Community by 314.7% in the 3rd quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 1,833 shares of the bank’s stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 1,391 shares in the last quarter. BNP Paribas Arbitrage SNC lifted its stake in First Community by 4,253.3% in the 2nd quarter. BNP Paribas Arbitrage SNC now owns 1,959 shares of the bank’s stock worth $34,000 after purchasing an additional 1,914 shares in the last quarter. Citigroup Inc. purchased a new position in First Community in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $38,000. California State Teachers Retirement System purchased a new position in First Community in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $43,000. Finally, MetLife Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of First Community during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $70,000. 61.25% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have recently commented on the company. Raymond James upgraded First Community from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $21.00 target price on the stock in a research report on Thursday, January 25th. StockNews.com upgraded First Community from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, January 25th.

About First Community

First Community Corporation operates as the bank holding company for First Community Bank that provides various commercial and retail banking products and services to small-to-medium sized businesses, professionals, and individuals. The company operates through Commercial and Retail Banking, Mortgage Banking, and Investment Advisory and Non-Deposit segments.