Downgrade and Leadership Change: Janney Montgomery Scott downgraded First Bancorp (FBNC) from Buy to Neutral, citing limited valuation upside and setting a fair value estimate at $49. The retirement of CEO Mike Mayer and the appointment of Adam Currie as the new CEO may introduce leadership transition risks.
Earnings Performance: FBNC reported Q4 Non-GAAP EPS of $0.76, beating expectations by $0.03, with net interest income rising to $88.84 million (+7.7% Y/Y). Despite earnings growth, analysts suggest the stock may be overvalued according to Seeking Alpha’s Quant Rating.
Price Trends: The stock closed at $40.36 on March 20, 2025, with a 6.8% decline in pre-market trading following earnings. The price is trading below its 20-day, 50-day, and 200-day moving averages, indicating a downtrend.
RSI and MACD: The RSI_14 is 44.07, below 50, suggesting bearish momentum. The MACD is -0.74, indicating bearish crossover.
Fibonacci Levels: Resistance levels at 40.85 and 41.50, with support at 38.74 and 38.09. The stock is near the lower end of the Fibonacci range, suggesting potential downside.
Given the downgrade, leadership change, and overvaluation concerns, the stock is likely to decline next week. Target price: $38.74. Recommendation: Sell.
The price of FBNC is predicted to go up -0.38%, based on the high correlation periods with HOPE. The similarity of these two price pattern on the periods is 98.89%.
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