Insider Selling: Westamerica Bancorporation (NASDAQ:WABC) SVP Sells $12,836.48 in Stock

Westamerica Bancorporation (NASDAQ:WABC) SVP Robert James Baker, Jr. sold 248 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, January 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $51.76, for a total value of $12,836.48. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now directly owns 1,270 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $65,735.20. The trade was a 16.34 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website.

Westamerica Bancorporation Stock Performance

NASDAQ WABC traded down $0.02 during trading on Friday, reaching $51.76. 94,310 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 113,139. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.15, a current ratio of 0.27 and a quick ratio of 0.26. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $53.60 and a 200-day moving average price of $52.30. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.38 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.95 and a beta of 0.58. Westamerica Bancorporation has a fifty-two week low of $43.82 and a fifty-two week high of $59.97.

Westamerica Bancorporation (NASDAQ:WABC) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, January 16th. The financial services provider reported $1.19 earnings per share for the quarter, hitting analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.19. Westamerica Bancorporation had a return on equity of 16.15% and a net margin of 44.55%. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $1.48 EPS. Sell-side analysts forecast that Westamerica Bancorporation will post 4.35 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Westamerica Bancorporation Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 14th. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 3rd will be given a $0.44 dividend. This represents a $1.76 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.40%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, February 3rd. Westamerica Bancorporation’s payout ratio is presently 33.85%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

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

Institutional Trading of Westamerica Bancorporation

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of WABC. Victory Capital Management Inc. raised its holdings in Westamerica Bancorporation by 58.5% in the 3rd quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 34,428 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $1,701,000 after acquiring an additional 12,702 shares during the period. Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd bought a new stake in shares of Westamerica Bancorporation during the third quarter worth approximately $848,000. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans grew its position in shares of Westamerica Bancorporation by 23.2% in the third 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 last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Westamerica Bancorporation by 4.1% during the third 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 during the period. Finally, Hennion & Walsh Asset Management Inc. acquired a new stake in Westamerica Bancorporation during the 4th quarter worth approximately $245,000. Institutional investors own 81.89% of the company’s stock.

Westamerica Bancorporation Company Profile

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.