Short Interest in Ames National Co. (NASDAQ:ATLO) Grows By 40.0%

Ames National Co. (NASDAQ:ATLO) was the target of a large increase in short interest during the month of June. As of June 30th, there was short interest totalling 72,100 shares, an increase of 40.0% from the June 15th total of 51,500 shares. Currently, 0.8% of the shares of the company are sold short. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 12,100 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 6.0 days.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, StockNews.com upgraded shares of Ames National from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, June 27th.

Ames National Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:ATLO traded up $0.04 on Friday, reaching $20.54. 15,792 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 16,050. The company has a fifty day moving average of $20.28 and a 200-day moving average of $19.87. Ames National has a twelve month low of $15.01 and a twelve month high of $22.50.

Ames National (NASDAQ:ATLO) last announced its earnings results on Friday, April 19th. The financial services provider reported $0.26 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. Ames National had a net margin of 11.49% and a return on equity of 6.27%. The firm had revenue of $9.21 million for the quarter.

Ames National Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, August 15th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, August 1st will be given a dividend of $0.27 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, August 1st. This represents a $1.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.26%. Ames National’s payout ratio is presently 97.30%.

Institutional Trading of Ames National

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. CWM LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Ames National by 2,044.0% during the 4th quarter. CWM LLC now owns 1,608 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $34,000 after acquiring an additional 1,533 shares during the period. BNP Paribas Financial Markets lifted its holdings in shares of Ames National by 75.7% during the 1st quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 4,251 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $86,000 after acquiring an additional 1,832 shares during the period. SG Americas Securities LLC bought a new stake in shares of Ames National during the 4th quarter worth approximately $100,000. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Ames National by 0.6% during the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 489,890 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $9,886,000 after acquiring an additional 2,965 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 26.47% of the company’s stock.

Ames National Company Profile

Ames National Corporation operates as a multi-bank holding company that provides banking products and services primarily in Boone, Clarke, Hancock, Marshall, Polk, Story, and Union counties in central, north central, and south-central Iowa. The company accepts various deposit products, including checking and savings accounts; and time deposits, such as money market accounts and certificates of deposit.