First Capital, Inc. (NASDAQ:FCAP) Sees Significant Increase in Short Interest

First Capital, Inc. (NASDAQ:FCAP - Get Free Report) experienced a notable rise in short interest throughout December. As of December 31, the total short interest reached 5,700 shares, marking an increase of 11.8% compared to the 5,100 shares reported on December 15. Currently, just 0.2% of the company’s total shares are sold short. The short-interest ratio is calculated to be 2.0 days based on an average daily trading volume of 2,900 shares.

Recent Institutional Activity

Several hedge funds have recently adjusted their stakes in First Capital. Siena Capital Partners GP LLC boosted its investment by 17.4% during the third quarter, bringing their total to 103,032 shares valued at approximately $3,602,000, after acquiring an additional 15,277 shares. Geode Capital Management LLC also increased its holdings by 4.4%, now owning 35,687 shares valued at around $1,248,000 after adding 1,520 shares. Additionally, Empowered Funds LLC raised its stake by 5.0%, holding 14,030 shares worth about $490,000 following a purchase of 670 more shares. Overall, institutional investors currently own 11.65% of First Capital's stock.

Price Performance of First Capital

During trading on Friday, NASDAQ:FCAP saw a decrease of $0.55, closing at $31.38. The volume of shares traded was 5,094, which is close to the average of 5,306 shares. The company has a market cap of approximately $105.12 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.89, and a beta of 0.57. First Capital's financial stability is reflected in its debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29, a current ratio of 0.70, and a quick ratio also of 0.70. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $32.01 and a 200-day moving average of $32.62, with a 1-year low of $26.03 and a 1-year high of $38.00.

Dividend Declaration

First Capital recently announced a quarterly dividend of $0.29 per share, which was paid on December 27. Shareholders who were on record as of December 13 received this dividend, translating to an annualized dividend of $1.16, which results in a dividend yield of 3.70%. The ex-dividend date for this payment was also December 13. The current dividend payout ratio stands at 32.86%.

Analyst Ratings and Price Targets

In a research note dated January 11, StockNews.com began coverage of First Capital shares, issuing a "hold" rating.

About First Capital, Inc.

First Capital, Inc. functions as the bank holding entity for First Harrison Bank, which offers an array of banking services to both individuals and businesses. Their services include various deposit accounts such as non-interest-bearing checking accounts, negotiable order of withdrawal accounts, money market accounts, regular savings accounts, certificates of deposit, and retirement savings plans.

Stocks, Investment, Market