WSFS Financial Co. (NASDAQ:WSFS) Sees Significant Increase in Short Interest

WSFS Financial Co. (NASDAQ:WSFS - Get Free Report) was the recipient of a significant growth in short interest in December. As of December 15th, there was short interest totalling 1,520,000 shares, a growth of 27.7% from the November 30th total of 1,190,000 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 295,400 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 5.1 days.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On WSFS Financial

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. International Assets Investment Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of WSFS Financial by 5,000.0% in the 3rd quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 918 shares of the bank's stock worth $47,000 after acquiring an additional 900 shares during the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC grew its stake in shares of WSFS Financial by 41.8% in the 3rd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,451 shares of the bank's stock worth $74,000 after acquiring an additional 428 shares in the last quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC purchased a new stake in shares of WSFS Financial in the third quarter valued at about $127,000. Ascent Group LLC bought a new position in shares of WSFS Financial during the second quarter valued at about $201,000. Finally, CIBC Asset Management Inc purchased a new position in shares of WSFS Financial in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $202,000. Institutional investors own 88.49% of the company's stock.

WSFS Financial Trading Down 1.7 %

WSFS traded down $0.90 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $53.39. 223,938 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 278,571. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.14 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.19 and a beta of 1.06. The firm's 50 day moving average price is $55.76 and its 200-day moving average price is $52.39. The company has a quick ratio of 0.86, a current ratio of 0.86 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40. WSFS Financial has a 1-year low of $40.19 and a 1-year high of $62.75.

WSFS Financial (NASDAQ:WSFS - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, October 24th. The bank reported $1.08 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.06 by $0.02. WSFS Financial had a net margin of 18.78% and a return on equity of 10.56%. The business had revenue of $267.61 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $260.35 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.23 earnings per share. WSFS Financial's revenue for the quarter was up .6% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts forecast that WSFS Financial will post 4.27 EPS for the current fiscal year.

WSFS Financial Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, November 22nd. Stockholders of record on Friday, November 8th were issued a dividend of $0.15 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, November 8th. This represents a $0.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.12%. WSFS Financial's dividend payout ratio is currently 13.70%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

WSFS has been the topic of several analyst reports. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reiterated a "market perform" rating and set a $54.00 price target (down previously from $58.00) on shares of WSFS Financial in a research report on Tuesday, October 29th. Janney Montgomery Scott reiterated a "neutral" rating on shares of WSFS Financial in a research report on Monday, October 28th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $59.75.

About WSFS Financial

WSFS Financial Corporation operates as the savings and loan holding company for the Wilmington Savings Fund Society, FSB that provides various banking services in the United States. It operates through three segments: WSFS Bank, Cash Connect, and Wealth Management. It offers various deposit products, including savings accounts, demand deposits, interest-bearing demand deposits, money market deposit accounts, and certificates of deposit, as well as accepts jumbo certificates of deposit from individuals, businesses, and municipalities.