Bank of the James Financial Group, Inc.
- Open
- 27.38
- Day high
- 27.38
- Day low
- 26.95
- Prev close
- 27.01
- Volume
- 35K
- Mkt cap
- $123M
- P/E (TTM)
- 10.7
- EPS (TTM)
- $2.53
- P/B
- 1.5
- P/S
- 2.0
- Yield
- 1.85%
- Per share
- $0.50
- ▲Insiders net buying $35K over the last 3 months (4 open-market buys, 0 sales)
- ◆Cluster buying — multiple insiders bought within days
- 🏛Institutions reducing (13F)
Bank of the James Financial Group, Inc. (BOTJ) is a Financial Services company listed on NASDAQ. The stock is up 74% over the past year. Over the trailing 3 months, insiders filed 4 open-market buys and 0 sales (SEC Form 4).
Bank of the James Financial Group, Inc. (BOTJ) financials & analyst ratings
Fundamentals (TTM)
Source: exchange market data + company filings. Figures are trailing-twelve-month or as most recently reported. For informational purposes only — not investment advice.
BOTJ earnings date, history & EPS estimates
| Report date | EPS est | EPS actual | Surprise | Revenue | Rev. surprise |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 30, 2026 | — | $0.71 | — | $17M | — |
| Apr 30, 2026 | — | $0.61 | — | $12M | — |
| Feb 4, 2026 | — | $0.60 | — | $16M | — |
| Oct 30, 2025 | — | $0.61 | — | — | — |
| Apr 30, 2025 | — | $0.19 | — | $14M | — |
| Jan 31, 2025 | — | $0.36 | — | $12M | — |
| Oct 25, 2024 | — | $0.44 | — | $11M | — |
| Jul 26, 2024 | — | $0.47 | — | $15M | — |
| Apr 26, 2024 | — | $0.48 | — | $14M | — |
| Feb 2, 2024 | — | $0.45 | — | $14M | — |
| Oct 20, 2023 | — | $0.46 | — | $10M | — |
| Jul 21, 2023 | — | $0.56 | — | $11M | — |
BOTJ insider trading activity (SEC Form 4)
| Date | Insider | Type | Shares | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 12, 2026 | SYREK MICHAEL Aofficer: President - Bank of the James | Buy | 100 | $27.05 |
| Aug 11, 2026 | ADDISON LEWIS Cdirector | Buy | 70 | $27.21 |
| Aug 10, 2026 | FOSTER WATT R JRdirector | Buy | 447 | $28.01 |
| Aug 10, 2026 | BRYANT WILLIAM C IIIdirector | Buy | 650 | $27.10 |
| May 8, 2026 | JAMERSON PHILLIP Cdirector | Buy | 1,000 | $23.40 |
| May 7, 2026 | ADDISON LEWIS Cdirector | Buy | 82 | $23.18 |
| May 7, 2026 | BRYANT WILLIAM C IIIdirector | Buy | 1,043 | $23.11 |
| Feb 20, 2026 | BRYANT WILLIAM C IIIdirector | Buy | 396 | $20.00 |
| Feb 20, 2026 | BRYANT WILLIAM C IIIdirector | Buy | 600 | $20.82 |
| Feb 20, 2026 | CHAPMAN ROBERT Rdirector, officer: President | Buy | 1,200 | $20.89 |
| Feb 11, 2026 | ADDISON LEWIS Cdirector | Buy | 93 | $20.50 |
| Dec 1, 2025 | JAMERSON PHILLIP Cdirector | Buy | 1,014 | $16.65 |
| Dec 1, 2025 | JAMERSON PHILLIP Cdirector | Buy | 100 | $17.59 |
| Nov 19, 2025 | BRYANT WILLIAM C IIIdirector | Buy | 59 | $16.75 |
| Nov 19, 2025 | ADDISON LEWIS Cdirector | Buy | 113 | $16.75 |
Source: BOTJ SEC Form 4 filings, latest Aug 12, 2026. For informational purposes only — not investment advice.
See the full BOTJ insider & 13F page →Bank of the James Financial Group, Inc. company profile
Overview
Bank of the James Financial Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:BOTJ) is a regional bank holding company founded in 1998 and headquartered in Lynchburg, Virginia. The company operates as the parent organization of Bank of the James, which provides comprehensive retail and commercial banking services throughout Virginia. Since going public in 2000, the bank has established itself as a community-focused financial institution serving individuals, businesses, and governmental entities across its market area through a network of 16 full-service offices, 2 limited-service offices, and 1 residential mortgage loan production office.
Business
Bank of the James Financial Group operates in the regional banking industry, which serves as an intermediary between depositors who provide funds and borrowers who need capital. Regional banks like Bank of the James typically focus on specific geographic markets, offering more personalized service than large national banks while maintaining broader capabilities than community banks. The company's core business revolves around traditional banking services. On the deposit side, Bank of the James offers checking and savings accounts, individual retirement accounts (IRAs), health savings accounts (HSAs), money market accounts, and certificates of deposit (CDs). These deposit products provide the bank with funding that it can then lend out at higher interest rates. On the lending side, the bank provides commercial loans to small and medium-sized businesses for equipment purchases, facility upgrades, inventory acquisition, and working capital needs. It also offers commercial real estate mortgages, construction and development loans, residential mortgages, and various consumer loans including personal loans, auto loans, home equity lines of credit, and overdraft protection. Beyond traditional banking, Bank of the James provides ancillary services including safe deposit boxes, treasury management for business clients, credit card merchant services, and acts as an agent for securities brokerage, investment services, insurance, and annuity products. The bank also offers modern conveniences such as online banking, mobile banking, and automated bill pay services to meet evolving customer expectations.
Revenue model
Bank of the James generates revenue primarily through net interest income - the difference between what it pays depositors for their funds and what it charges borrowers for loans. This spread, known as the net interest margin, is the fundamental business model of banking. In 2024, the bank generated $45.0 million in total revenue with net income of $7.9 million. The bank's profitability is significantly influenced by interest rate environments. When interest rates rise, banks can typically charge higher rates on new loans faster than they must increase rates paid on deposits, expanding their net interest margin. Conversely, falling rates can compress margins. Credit quality is another critical factor - economic downturns that increase loan defaults directly impact profitability through higher provision expenses for loan losses. The bank also generates non-interest income through fees on deposit accounts, loan origination fees, treasury management services, and commissions from insurance and investment product sales. However, like most regional banks, fee income represents a smaller portion of total revenue compared to net interest income. Competition from larger national banks, credit unions, and fintech companies can pressure both deposit pricing (increasing funding costs) and loan pricing (reducing loan yields). Additionally, regulatory compliance costs represent a significant ongoing expense that can impact margins, particularly for smaller regional banks that lack the scale to spread these fixed costs across a larger asset base.
Competitive moat
Bank of the James operates with a limited economic moat typical of regional banks. Its primary competitive advantages stem from local market knowledge and relationship banking in central Virginia. The bank's management and loan officers have deep understanding of local economic conditions, business communities, and creditworthiness factors that may not be apparent to larger, more distant competitors. This local expertise enables more nuanced lending decisions and personalized service that can command customer loyalty. However, banking is fundamentally a commodity business with limited differentiation. Deposits and loans are largely standardized products, and customers can easily compare rates and terms across institutions. The bank faces significant competitive pressure from larger regional and national banks that offer similar products with potentially better rates due to their scale advantages and lower cost of funds. The regulatory environment creates both barriers to entry (helping existing banks) and ongoing compliance burdens that disproportionately affect smaller institutions. Technology disruption poses an increasing threat, as fintech companies and digital-first banks can offer superior user experiences and potentially better rates by avoiding the overhead costs of physical branch networks. Geographic concentration in Virginia represents both a strength (local market expertise) and a vulnerability (lack of diversification). Economic downturns or industry-specific challenges in the bank's market area could disproportionately impact performance compared to more geographically diversified competitors.
Risks & safety
Bank of the James maintains a moderate margin of safety with some areas of concern typical for regional banks. • Solvency and Capital: Total assets of $1.01 billion with shareholders' equity of $68.3 million, providing a reasonable capital buffer. Debt-to-equity ratio of 0.30 is manageable for a bank. • Liquidity Position: Cash and short-term investments of $25.8 million (Q1 2025) provide adequate liquidity, though this represents only 2.5% of total assets, which is typical but not exceptional for banks. • Profitability Trends: Net income declined from $8.7 million (2023) to $7.9 million (2024), showing some earnings pressure. Return on equity of 12.2% (2024) is reasonable but down from 14.5% in 2023. • Valuation: Trading at P/E ratio of 9.1x (2024) and price-to-book of 1.11x, suggesting reasonable valuation levels. EV/EBITDA metrics are less meaningful for banks due to their unique business model. • Asset Quality: Limited disclosure on non-performing loans and charge-offs makes it difficult to assess credit risk, which is a key concern for any bank's safety profile.
Recent development
Based on the available financial data, Bank of the James has experienced mixed performance over recent years. The bank saw revenue growth from $39.4 million in 2023 to $45.0 million in 2024, representing a 14.4% increase. However, this revenue growth did not translate to proportional earnings growth, as net income actually declined from $8.7 million to $7.9 million over the same period, suggesting margin compression. The bank's asset base has grown from $928.6 million in 2022 to $1.01 billion in Q1 2025, indicating successful balance sheet expansion. This growth appears to be funded through a combination of deposit growth and managed leverage, as evidenced by the relatively stable debt-to-equity ratios. Return on equity has shown volatility, peaking at 17.8% in 2022, declining to 14.5% in 2023, and further dropping to 12.2% in 2024. This trend suggests the bank is facing profitability challenges, likely related to the challenging interest rate environment and increased competition for deposits that has affected many regional banks. The bank's cash position has remained relatively stable, ranging from $22-30 million over recent periods, indicating consistent liquidity management. Free cash flow generation has been positive but variable, ranging from $2.8 million to $8.1 million annually, reflecting the cyclical nature of banking operations.
BOTJ company profile · for informational purposes only — not investment advice.
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