Bankwell Financial Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:BWFG) Stake Lessened by Banc Funds Co. LLC

Banc Funds Co. LLC lessened its position in shares of Bankwell Financial Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:BWFG - Free Report) by 11.7% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 249,423 shares of the bank's stock after selling 33,200 shares during the quarter. Banc Funds Co. LLC owned approximately 3.17% of Bankwell Financial Group worth $7,770,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the business. BNP Paribas Financial Markets grew its position in shares of Bankwell Financial Group by 60.9% in the third quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 1,890 shares of the bank's stock valued at $57,000 after purchasing an additional 715 shares during the period. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased its stake in Bankwell Financial Group by 164.5% during the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 11,638 shares of the bank's stock worth $349,000 after buying an additional 7,238 shares during the period. Wells Fargo & Company MN lifted its stake in shares of Bankwell Financial Group by 9.4% in the fourth quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN now owns 11,338 shares of the bank's stock worth $353,000 after acquiring an additional 975 shares in the last quarter. Barclays PLC raised its position in shares of Bankwell Financial Group by 47.7% in the 3rd quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 20,781 shares of the bank's stock valued at $623,000 after purchasing an additional 6,710 shares in the last quarter. Finally, SeaCrest Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in Bankwell Financial Group during the 4th quarter valued at $624,000. 35.80% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director Kevin D. Leitao bought 2,000 shares of Bankwell Financial Group stock in a transaction dated Monday, January 27th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $30.38 per share, with a total value of $60,760.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director now directly owns 4,500 shares in the company, valued at approximately $136,710. This trade represents a 80.00 % increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, EVP Christine Chivily sold 942 shares of Bankwell Financial Group stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $32.63, for a total value of $30,737.46. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 16,047 shares in the company, valued at $523,613.61. This represents a 5.54 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders have acquired 2,970 shares of company stock worth $90,136 and have sold 6,147 shares worth $193,975. 19.20% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Bankwell Financial Group Stock Performance

BWFG stock traded up $0.59 during trading on Tuesday, hitting $29.89. 9,866 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 14,401. The stock has a market capitalization of $235.80 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.33 and a beta of 0.60. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $29.87 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $30.54. The company has a quick ratio of 1.06, a current ratio of 1.06 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.59. Bankwell Financial Group, Inc. has a 52 week low of $22.70 and a 52 week high of $35.25.

Bankwell Financial Group (NASDAQ:BWFG - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 22nd. The bank reported $0.32 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.65 by ($0.33). Bankwell Financial Group had a net margin of 4.76% and a return on equity of 3.48%.

Bankwell Financial Group Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 21st. Investors of record on Tuesday, February 11th were issued a dividend of $0.20 per share. This represents a $0.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.68%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, February 11th. Bankwell Financial Group's payout ratio is currently 67.80%.

Bankwell Financial Group Profile

Bankwell Financial Group, Inc operates as the bank holding company for Bankwell Bank that provides various banking services for individual and commercial customers. It offers various traditional depository products, including checking, savings, money market, and certificates of deposit. The company also provides first mortgage loans secured by one-to-four family owner occupied residential properties for personal use; home equity loans and home equity lines of credit secured by owner occupied one-to-four family residential properties; loans secured by commercial real estate, multi-family dwellings, owner-occupied commercial real estate, and investor-owned one-to-four family dwellings; commercial construction loans for commercial development projects, including apartment buildings and condominiums, as well as office buildings, retail, and other income producing properties; land loans; commercial business loans secured by assignments of corporate assets and personal guarantees of the business owners; loans to finance insurance premiums; overdraft lines of credit; and unsecured personal loans.