FCCO

Financial Performance: First Community Corporation reported a net income of $5.192 million for Q3 2025, a 34.5% increase year-over-year, with diluted EPS of $0.67, also up 34.0% year-over-year. Year-to-date net income reached $14.375 million, a 47.8% increase compared to the same period in 2024.

Loan and Deposit Growth: Total loans increased by $19.3 million in Q3 2025, reflecting a 6.1% annualized growth rate, while total deposits rose by $17.1 million, with customer deposits growing by $27.6 million, indicating a strong focus on relationship-based accounts.

Asset Quality and Capital Ratios: The bank maintained strong asset quality metrics, with a non-performing assets ratio of 0.04% and a past due ratio of 0.07%. Regulatory capital ratios exceeded minimum requirements, with a Common Equity Tier I ratio of 13.10% as of September 30, 2025.

Dividends and Share Repurchase Plan: The Board approved a cash dividend of $0.16 per share, marking the 95th consecutive quarter of dividends. Additionally, a share repurchase plan of up to $7.5 million was authorized to enhance capital management flexibility.

Investigation of Companies: Halper Sadeh LLC is investigating WideOpenWest, Inc., First Community Corporation, and Semler Scientific, Inc. for potential violations of federal securities laws and breaches of fiduciary duties to shareholders related to their recent transactions.

Shareholder Rights and Legal Support: The firm offers free consultations to shareholders regarding their rights and options, and may seek increased compensation or additional disclosures on behalf of shareholders, operating on a contingent fee basis.

Trend Investing Importance: The article emphasizes the significance of following stock trends for short-term investing, highlighting that sustaining a trend is crucial for profitability.

First Community Corporation (FCCO): FCCO is identified as a promising stock due to its 10.6% price increase over 12 weeks and a recent 3.4% rise, indicating a strong upward trend.

Strong Fundamentals: FCCO has a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) and an Average Broker Recommendation of #1, suggesting robust fundamentals and positive expectations from analysts.

Investment Opportunities: Besides FCCO, the article mentions other stocks passing the "Recent Price Strength" screen, encouraging investors to explore various stock-picking strategies available through Zacks Premium Screens.