Insider Selling: Westamerica Bancorporation (NASDAQ:WABC) SVP Sells 705 Shares of Stock

Westamerica Bancorporation (NASDAQ:WABC) SVP Robert James Baker, Jr. sold 705 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, July 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $52.73, for a total value of $37,174.65. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now owns 244 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $12,866.12. This represents a 74.29 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink.

Westamerica Bancorporation Stock Performance

WABC stock opened at $51.76 on Monday. Westamerica Bancorporation has a 1-year low of $43.82 and a 1-year high of $59.97. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $53.48 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $52.22. The firm has a market cap of $1.38 billion, a PE ratio of 9.95 and a beta of 0.58. The company has a current ratio of 0.27, a quick ratio of 0.26 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.15.

Westamerica Bancorporation (NASDAQ:WABC) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 16th. The financial services provider reported $1.19 earnings per share for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $1.19. Westamerica Bancorporation had a return on equity of 16.15% and a net margin of 44.55%. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.48 EPS. As a group, research analysts forecast that Westamerica Bancorporation will post 4.35 earnings per share for the current 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 dividend of $0.44 per share. This represents a $1.76 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.40%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, February 3rd. Westamerica Bancorporation’s dividend payout ratio is 33.85%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

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

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Westamerica Bancorporation

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Intech Investment Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Westamerica Bancorporation by 2.8% in the 3rd quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC now owns 7,024 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $347,000 after purchasing an additional 191 shares during the period. Martingale Asset Management L P grew its holdings in shares of Westamerica Bancorporation by 0.7% during the third quarter. Martingale Asset Management L P now owns 27,008 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $1,335,000 after buying an additional 200 shares in the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC raised its position in Westamerica Bancorporation by 14.1% in the 4th quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 2,166 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $114,000 after buying an additional 268 shares during the last quarter. KBC Group NV lifted its stake in Westamerica Bancorporation by 71.4% in the 4th quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 1,974 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $104,000 after acquiring an additional 822 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Inspire Investing LLC boosted its position in Westamerica Bancorporation by 15.8% during the 3rd quarter. Inspire Investing LLC now owns 8,342 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $412,000 after acquiring an additional 1,138 shares during the last quarter. 81.89% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.