StockNews.com Upgrades Peoples Bancorp of North Carolina (NASDAQ:PEBK) to “Buy”

Peoples Bancorp of North Carolina (NASDAQ:PEBK) was upgraded by research analysts at StockNews.com from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report issued on Friday.

Peoples Bancorp of North Carolina Stock Performance

PEBK opened at $27.42 on Friday. Peoples Bancorp of North Carolina has a 52-week low of $23.74 and a 52-week high of $33.31. The firm has a market capitalization of $149.60 million, a PE ratio of 9.20 and a beta of 0.60. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11, a quick ratio of 0.81 and a current ratio of 0.81. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $28.31 and its 200 day simple moving average is $28.40.

Peoples Bancorp of North Carolina (NASDAQ:PEBK) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, February 12th. The bank reported $0.65 EPS for the quarter. Peoples Bancorp of North Carolina had a return on equity of 12.85% and a net margin of 15.08%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Peoples Bancorp of North Carolina

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Nuveen Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in Peoples Bancorp of North Carolina during the fourth quarter worth approximately $277,000. Deutsche Bank AG acquired a new stake in Peoples Bancorp of North Carolina during the fourth quarter worth approximately $82,000. Bank of America Corp DE grew its position in Peoples Bancorp of North Carolina by 35.5% during the fourth quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 4,649 shares of the bank’s stock worth $145,000 after buying an additional 1,219 shares in the last quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets grew its position in Peoples Bancorp of North Carolina by 41.7% during the fourth quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 11,335 shares of the bank’s stock worth $354,000 after buying an additional 3,335 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Northern Trust Corp grew its position in Peoples Bancorp of North Carolina by 3.2% during the fourth quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 39,911 shares of the bank’s stock worth $1,247,000 after buying an additional 1,233 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 43.83% of the company’s stock.

About Peoples Bancorp of North Carolina

Peoples Bancorp of North Carolina, Inc operates as the bank holding company for Peoples Bank that provides various banking products and services for individuals and small-to medium-sized businesses. It offers checking, savings, money market, and retirement accounts; certificates of deposits; and credit and debit cards.