Director Abernethy James S. completed a sale of 600 shares of Peoples Bancorp of North Carolina Inc. common stock on February 4, 2026. The shares were sold at $37.27 each, producing proceeds of $22,362 for the transaction.
Since that disposition, the stock has risen to $38.63 and is trading close to its 52-week high. Over the past six months the share price has appreciated 35.95%, reflecting significant recent momentum in the security.
On a valuation and market-size basis, the company carries a market capitalization of $204.93 million and reports a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.7. InvestingPro analysis indicates that PEBK is trading slightly above its Fair Value.
Following the February 4 sale, Abernethy retains direct ownership of 73,526 shares of Peoples Bancorp common stock. He also has indirect holdings comprising 70,441 shares in his capacity as Vice President, Secretary and Chairman of Alexander Railroad, plus an additional 37,000 shares reported as held by his son.
In a separate corporate action, Peoples Bancorp announced a special cash dividend of $0.17 per share. The dividend will be paid to shareholders of record on February 4, 2026, with payment scheduled for February 13, 2026. The company described the distribution as part of its ongoing approach to returning value to shareholders.
Peoples Bancorp operates multiple banking offices and loan production offices across several counties in North Carolina. The dividend declaration and the insider transaction occur amid other financial activities and decisions by the company.
The combination of recent insider activity, a special dividend and a share price trading near its yearly peak provides investors with discrete data points about the company’s recent trajectory. The sale was relatively modest in dollar terms; the dividend is scheduled with standard record and payment dates; and public metrics show the bank is a small-cap institution with a mid-single-digit P/E relative to its market capitalization.
There is limited public information in the filing and announcements to indicate any change in corporate strategy beyond what has been disclosed - the sale, the stated ownership positions, the dividend record and payment dates, and the current market metrics. Observers and shareholders will rely on these disclosed facts when assessing the company’s near-term financial signals.