Insider Trading March 5, 2026

Peoples Bancorp Director Sells 477 Shares; Holds Significant Direct and Indirect Stakes

James S. Abernethy reduces direct holdings while company declares special cash dividend

By Derek Hwang PEBK
Peoples Bancorp Director Sells 477 Shares; Holds Significant Direct and Indirect Stakes
PEBK

James S. Abernethy, a director of Peoples Bancorp of North Carolina Inc (PEBK), sold 477 shares on March 3, 2026, for $37.60 per share, netting $17,935. The transaction leaves him with substantial direct and indirect ownership. Separately, the bank announced a $0.17 per share special cash dividend with a February 4, 2026 record date and a February 13, 2026 payment date.

Key Points

  • Director James S. Abernethy sold 477 shares on March 3, 2026 at $37.60 per share, totaling $17,935.
  • After the sale, Abernethy directly owns 70,426 shares, indirectly owns 37,000 shares through his son, and holds 70,441 shares as VP, Sec & Chairman of Alexander Railroad Co.
  • Peoples Bancorp declared a special cash dividend of $0.17 per share with a record date of February 4, 2026 and a payment date of February 13, 2026.

James S. Abernethy, who serves as a director of Peoples Bancorp of North Carolina Inc (NASDAQ: PEBK), completed the sale of 477 shares of the company’s common stock on March 3, 2026. The shares were sold at $37.60 apiece, producing gross proceeds of $17,935.

Following that sale, Abernethy retains direct ownership of 70,426 shares of Peoples Bancorp common stock. He also holds additional positions in the company through other channels: 37,000 shares are owned indirectly through his son, and 70,441 shares are held in his capacity as Vice President, Secretary and Chairman of Alexander Railroad Co.


In separate corporate action, Peoples Bancorp of North Carolina announced a special cash dividend of $0.17 per share. The dividend was declared with a shareholder record date of February 4, 2026, and the payment was scheduled for February 13, 2026. The company described the distribution as a reflection of its financial position and an effort to deliver value to shareholders.

Peoples Bancorp operates a network of banking offices across multiple counties in North Carolina, and maintains loan production offices in additional counties. The announcement of the special dividend and the disclosed insider transaction are part of the company’s recent public disclosures regarding shareholder returns and insider holdings.

The facts presented here are limited to the company’s public disclosure of the transaction, the current ownership breakdown attributed to Abernethy, and the special dividend details as stated by Peoples Bancorp. The motives for the insider sale were not stated in the disclosed information, and no additional corporate actions or financial results were described alongside the dividend announcement.

Risks

  • The publicly disclosed materials do not state the reason for Abernethy’s sale, leaving the motivation for the insider transaction unclear - this creates uncertainty for shareholders and market observers (impacted sector: regional banking).
  • Information provided is limited to the single insider transaction and the dividend; no broader financial results or forward guidance were disclosed, which constrains assessment of the bank’s overall financial trajectory (impacted sector: financial services).

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