First Bancorp (FBNC) COO Anthony Buys $180K of Stock

Wilson Christian Anthony, the Chief Operating Officer of First Bancorp (NASDAQ: FBNC), recently increased his stake in the company. On June 23, 2026, Wilson bought 2,902 shares at an average price of $62.03 each. This transaction involved a total outlay of $180,011.06. Unlike some executive trades that are scheduled months in advance, this purchase was not made under a Rule 10b5-1 trading plan, which usually dictates trades regardless of current market conditions.

A Wave of First Bancorp Insider Activity

Wilson's purchase was part of a larger cluster of buying activity by the bank's top leadership on June 23, 2026. Chief Executive Officer Richard Moore led the group by purchasing 9,673 shares for $600,016.19. Gregory Currie, who serves as CEO of First Bank, also acquired 7,739 shares for $480,050.17. Chief Financial Officer Elizabeth Bostian and Chief Accounting Officer Hicks Thomas Brent also participated, buying 3,386 and 1,087 shares, respectively. Earlier in the month, on June 15, 2026, insiders Nevin Katharine Caldwell and Peter Hans each purchased 863 shares at a lower price of $57.99.

First Bancorp Stock Performance

On Thursday, First Bancorp shares were priced at $62.63. The stock has stayed within a range of $45.96 to $66.78 over the past year. At its current level, the bank has a market capitalization of $2.60 billion. Investors often look at the P/E ratio to see how much they are paying for every dollar of profit; First Bancorp currently has a P/E of 19.49, though its forward P/E of 12.42 suggests that earnings might be stronger in the year ahead.

Recent Earnings and Financial Health

In its most recent financial reports, First Bancorp showed a revenue of $410.72 million. The company grew its revenue by 16% compared to the previous period. It also kept a net margin of 32.44% and a return on equity of 8.14%. Looking forward, the company is scheduled to report its next batch of financial results on October 21, 2026.

Dividend Payments

The bank continues to return cash to its shareholders through a regular dividend. The current annual dividend rate is $0.96 per share, which gives the stock a yield of 1.51%. The company's payout ratio stands at 29.19%, meaning it uses less than a third of its earnings to cover these dividend payments.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several investment firms have weighed in on First Bancorp recently. On October 6, 2026, Raymond James adjusted its stance, moving the stock to an Outperform rating with a $71.00 price target. This followed an earlier report on July 16, 2026, where the firm had a Strong Buy rating and a $75.00 target. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods maintained an Outperform rating on August 4, 2026, and set a $70.00 target. Meanwhile, Piper Sandler kept a Neutral rating on July 29, 2026, with a $65.00 target. On average, five analysts tracking the stock have a mean price target of $69.40.

Regional Banking in North Carolina

First Bancorp is the parent company of First Bank, a regional lender based in Southern Pines, North Carolina. It has been around since 1934 and provides standard banking like checking accounts and mortgages, but it also handles more specialized business needs like inventory financing and insurance. The recent cluster of buying from the COO and other top leaders shows that those closest to the bank's daily operations are putting their own money into its stock.

Investors should remember that while insider trades show what executives are doing with their personal portfolios, these filings are backward-looking. A purchase in June reflects a decision made at that time and may not reflect the executive's view of the stock today.