Westamerica Bancorporation (NASDAQ:WABC) Shares Sold by Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership

Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership trimmed its stake in shares of Westamerica Bancorporation (NASDAQ:WABC - Free Report) by 8.2% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 158,384 shares of the financial services provider's stock after selling 14,095 shares during the period. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership owned about 0.59% of Westamerica Bancorporation worth $8,309,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of WABC. Golden State Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in Westamerica Bancorporation during the 4th quarter valued at about $65,000. KBC Group NV grew its position in shares of Westamerica Bancorporation by 71.4% in the fourth quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 1,974 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $104,000 after purchasing an additional 822 shares during the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC grew its position in shares of Westamerica Bancorporation by 14.1% in the fourth quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 2,166 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $114,000 after purchasing an additional 268 shares during the last quarter. Gallacher Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Westamerica Bancorporation during the 4th quarter worth approximately $205,000. Finally, One Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Westamerica Bancorporation during the 4th quarter worth approximately $210,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 81.89% of the company's stock.

Westamerica Bancorporation Price Performance

WABC stock traded down $0.52 on Friday, reaching $43.72. The company had a trading volume of 181,372 shares, compared to its average volume of 127,366. The company's fifty day moving average is $49.65 and its 200 day moving average is $51.75. The company has a market cap of $1.17 billion, a P/E ratio of 8.41 and a beta of 0.63. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.15, a quick ratio of 0.26 and a current ratio of 0.27. Westamerica Bancorporation has a 1 year low of $42.84 and a 1 year high of $59.97.

Westamerica Bancorporation (NASDAQ:WABC - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 16th. The financial services provider reported $1.19 earnings per share (EPS) 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 period in the prior year, the company earned $1.48 EPS. On average, research analysts forecast that Westamerica Bancorporation will post 4.35 earnings per share for the current year.

Westamerica Bancorporation Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 14th. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 3rd were issued a $0.44 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, February 3rd. This represents a $1.76 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.03%. Westamerica Bancorporation's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 33.85%.

Westamerica Bancorporation 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.