Westamerica Bancorporation (NASDAQ:WABC) SVP Robert James Baker, Jr. Sells 248 Shares

Westamerica Bancorporation (NASDAQ:WABC) SVP Robert James Baker, Jr. sold 248 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, January 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $51.76, for a total transaction of $12,836.48. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 1,270 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $65,735.20. This represents a 16.34 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink.

Westamerica Bancorporation Stock Down 0.0 %

WABC opened at $51.76 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.15, a quick ratio of 0.26 and a current ratio of 0.27. The company has a market capitalization of $1.38 billion, a PE ratio of 9.95 and a beta of 0.58. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $53.48 and its 200-day moving average is $52.29. Westamerica Bancorporation has a one year low of $43.82 and a one year high of $59.97.

Westamerica Bancorporation (NASDAQ:WABC) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 16th. The financial services provider reported $1.19 EPS for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $1.19. Westamerica Bancorporation had a net margin of 44.55% and a return on equity of 16.15%. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $1.48 EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that Westamerica Bancorporation will post 4.35 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Westamerica Bancorporation Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 14th. Investors of record on Monday, February 3rd will be issued a dividend of $0.44 per share. This represents a $1.76 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.40%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, February 3rd. Westamerica Bancorporation’s payout ratio is 33.85%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Victory Capital Management Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Westamerica Bancorporation by 58.5% during the 3rd quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 34,428 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $1,701,000 after acquiring an additional 12,702 shares in the last quarter. Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of Westamerica Bancorporation during the third quarter valued at $848,000. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans boosted its position in shares of Westamerica Bancorporation by 23.2% in the 3rd quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans now owns 61,990 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $3,064,000 after purchasing an additional 11,674 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its stake in Westamerica Bancorporation by 4.1% in the 3rd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 735,439 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $36,352,000 after purchasing an additional 28,902 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Hennion & Walsh Asset Management Inc. acquired a new stake in Westamerica Bancorporation during the 4th quarter worth about $245,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 81.89% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Separately, StockNews.com raised shares of Westamerica Bancorporation from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 17th.

About Westamerica Bancorporation

Westamerica Bancorporation operates as a bank holding company for the Westamerica Bank that provides various banking products and services to individual and commercial customers. The company accepts various deposit products, including retail savings and checking accounts, as well as certificates of deposit.