First Bancorp COO Wilson Christian Anthony Buys Shares

Wilson Christian Anthony, the Chief Operating Officer of First Bancorp, recently bought 2,902 shares of the company. The purchase was made on June 23, 2026, at an average price of $62.03 per share, costing him a total of $180,011.06. This transaction was not part of a prearranged trading plan.

Insider Buying and Selling at First Bancorp

Alongside Wilson Christian Anthony, other key executives made purchases on the same day. Richard Moore, the CEO, acquired 9,673 shares, while Thomas Brent Hicks, the Chief Accounting Officer, bought 1,087 shares. Gregory Currie, CEO of First Bank, purchased 7,739 shares, and Elizabeth Bostian, the CFO, added 3,386 shares. Each transaction was conducted at $62.03 per share.

Other Institutional Activity in First Bancorp

In recent institutional activity, FMR LLC increased its holdings by 447,184 shares, bringing its total to 3,640,136 shares valued at approximately $205.1 million, marking a 14% increase. State Street Corp also added 62,443 shares, now holding 2,074,716 shares worth about $117.4 million, a 3.1% rise. Meanwhile, Vanguard Capital Management LLC opened a new position with 1,772,184 shares valued at $99.9 million. Conversely, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP reduced its stake by 154,867 shares, ending with 1,705,538 shares valued at $96.1 million, reflecting an 8.3% decrease.

First Bancorp Stock Down 2.1%

Shares of NasdaqGS:FBNC traded near $62.71 on Thursday. First Bancorp has a market cap of approximately $2.52 billion and a P/E ratio of 20.75. The stock has a 52-week range between $40.25 and $62.64, with a 50-day moving average of $58.99 and a 200-day moving average of $55.17. The company shows a beta of 0.833, indicating lower volatility compared to the market.

Recent Earnings

First Bancorp reported revenue of $393.3 million, showing a growth of 13.9%. The company achieved a net margin of 30.8% and a return on equity of 7.6%. Earnings per share stood at $2.93. The next earnings report is expected on July 22, 2026.

Dividend

First Bancorp offers an annual dividend rate of $0.96, yielding 1.58% with a payout ratio of 31.74%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

On April 23, 2026, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods maintained their buy rating for First Bancorp with a price target of $66. Piper Sandler, however, downgraded the stock to hold with a $64 target on February 9, 2026. Overall, the consensus among five analysts is a buy rating, with a mean price target of $66.35.

About First Bancorp

First Bancorp is a bank holding company based in Southern Pines, North Carolina. It operates First Bank, which provides a range of banking services to individuals and businesses. The bank offers various deposit products and a broad spectrum of loan options, including commercial and residential real estate loans. Additionally, First Bancorp provides investment and insurance products, along with electronic banking services. The company is led by CEO Richard Hancock Moore and employs about 1,353 people.

Bottom Line

Wilson Christian Anthony's recent purchase of First Bancorp shares underscores insider confidence in the company. With a solid market position and recent institutional interest, First Bancorp remains a company to watch. However, as with all 13F filings and insider transactions, these actions reflect past decisions and may not indicate current positions.