First Guaranty Bancshares (NASDAQ:FGBI) Share Price Passes Below Fifty Day Moving Average – Here’s Why

Shares of First Guaranty Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:FGBI) passed below its 50-day moving average during trading on Wednesday . The stock has a 50-day moving average of $8.69 and traded as low as $8.08. First Guaranty Bancshares shares last traded at $8.81, with a volume of 20,820 shares changing hands.

More First Guaranty Bancshares News

Here are the key news stories impacting First Guaranty Bancshares this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Several directors made sizable open‑market purchases at ~$7.77 per share, including Bruce McAnally (32,176 shares, +10.7% to his stake) — insider buying of this size is typically viewed as a strong bullish signal from people with inside information. Bruce McAnally buy — InsiderTradesArticle
• Positive Sentiment: Director Edgar R. Smith III purchased 138,083 shares (~$1.07M), increasing his holding by ~25.7% — another material insider accumulation that supports management confidence in the company’s outlook. Edgar R. Smith III SEC filingSEC filing
• Positive Sentiment: Director Marshall T. Reynolds also added 32,176 shares at the same price, a smaller but corroborating insider buy. Multiple directors buying concurrently amplifies the positive signal. Marshall T. Reynolds SEC filingSEC filing
• Neutral Sentiment: The company paid a small quarterly dividend ($0.01/share, ~0.4% yield); it’s supportive but immaterial to valuation given the low yield and negative payout ratio. Dividend and price performance — MarketBeatArticle
• Neutral Sentiment: Institutional activity shows modest buys from firms like Barclays PLC, Renaissance Technologies, Empowered Funds and Acadian Asset Management — institutional ownership rising is a mild positive but positions remain small in dollar terms. Institutional flows — MarketBeatArticle
• Negative Sentiment: An automated technical note flagged the share price moving relative to the 50‑day moving average (article framed as “passes below 50‑day MA”), which can trigger short‑term selling or algorithmic pressure and is a short‑term bearish factor. Price vs. 50‑day MA — AmericanBankingNewsArticle

Analysts Set New Price Targets

FGBI has been the topic of several recent research reports. Weiss Ratings restated a “sell (d)” rating on shares of First Guaranty Bancshares in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. Zacks Research raised First Guaranty Bancshares from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, December 8th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Reduce”.

First Guaranty Bancshares Price Performance

The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $8.71 and its 200 day simple moving average is $7.39. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.99, a current ratio of 0.88 and a quick ratio of 0.88. The stock has a market cap of $145.27 million, a P/E ratio of -2.37 and a beta of 0.32.

First Guaranty Bancshares Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 27th were given a dividend of $0.01 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, March 27th. This represents a $0.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.4%. First Guaranty Bancshares’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently -1.03%.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Bruce Mcanally bought 32,176 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 31st. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $7.77 per share, for a total transaction of $250,007.52. Following the acquisition, the director owned 332,536 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,583,804.72. This represents a 10.71% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Edgar R. Smith III purchased 138,083 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 31st. The stock was bought at an average cost of $7.77 per share, for a total transaction of $1,072,904.91. Following the purchase, the director owned 675,349 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,247,461.73. This represents a 25.70% increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have acquired 202,435 shares of company stock worth $1,572,920 in the last 90 days. Corporate insiders own 47.20% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On First Guaranty Bancshares

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Empowered Funds LLC raised its stake in shares of First Guaranty Bancshares by 8.8% in the 1st quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 46,048 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $355,000 after purchasing an additional 3,742 shares during the period. Acadian Asset Management LLC raised its position in First Guaranty Bancshares by 11.1% in the 1st quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC now owns 49,565 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $379,000 after buying an additional 4,956 shares during the last quarter. Barclays PLC lifted its stake in First Guaranty Bancshares by 135.6% in the 4th quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 11,478 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $62,000 after acquiring an additional 6,606 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Renaissance Technologies LLC lifted its stake in First Guaranty Bancshares by 60.1% in the 4th quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 28,347 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $152,000 after acquiring an additional 10,641 shares in the last quarter. 39.52% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

First Guaranty Bancshares Company Profile

First Guaranty Bancshares, Inc is a financial holding company headquartered in Hammond, Louisiana. Through its principal subsidiary, First Guaranty Bank, the company provides a diversified range of commercial and retail banking services. Founded in 1932, First Guaranty Bancshares has grown from a community mutual bank into a publicly traded institution listed on the Nasdaq under the ticker FGBI.

The company’s core business activities encompass traditional deposit products and lending solutions.