Waterstone Financial (NASDAQ:WSBF) Downgraded to "Hold" Rating by StockNews.com

Waterstone Financial (NASDAQ:WSBF - Get Free Report) was downgraded by equities research analysts at StockNews.com from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note issued on Saturday.

Waterstone Financial Stock Down 0.3 %

Shares of WSBF traded down $0.04 during trading on Friday, reaching $13.38. The company's stock had a trading volume of 38,195 shares, compared to its average volume of 43,132. The company has a market cap of $258.50 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.25 and a beta of 0.64. The company has a quick ratio of 1.36, a current ratio of 1.48 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.64. The company has a fifty day moving average of $13.84 and a two-hundred day moving average of $14.26. Waterstone Financial has a twelve month low of $10.60 and a twelve month high of $16.86.

Waterstone Financial (NASDAQ:WSBF - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, January 28th. The savings and loans company reported $0.28 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. Waterstone Financial had a net margin of 9.23% and a return on equity of 5.75%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CFO Mark Raymond Gerke sold 2,738 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $14.14, for a total transaction of $38,715.32. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 30,334 shares of the company's stock, valued at $428,922.76. This represents a 8.28 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Patrick S. Lawton sold 37,500 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $14.03, for a total value of $526,125.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 49,131 shares of the company's stock, valued at $689,307.93. This trade represents a 43.29 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 66,669 shares of company stock valued at $929,283 in the last quarter. Insiders own 8.30% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Waterstone Financial

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of WSBF. Wells Fargo & Company MN boosted its position in shares of Waterstone Financial by 27.8% during the fourth quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN now owns 9,441 shares of the savings and loans company's stock worth $127,000 after buying an additional 2,055 shares during the period. Deutsche Bank AG acquired a new stake in shares of Waterstone Financial in the 4th quarter worth approximately $143,000. Quantinno Capital Management LP bought a new position in Waterstone Financial during the 4th quarter valued at $203,000. Barclays PLC increased its position in shares of Waterstone Financial by 242.1% during the 3rd quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 20,824 shares of the savings and loans company's stock valued at $306,000 after purchasing an additional 14,737 shares during the period. Finally, Millennium Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Waterstone Financial by 108.7% in the 4th quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 21,882 shares of the savings and loans company's stock worth $294,000 after buying an additional 11,395 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 62.71% of the company's stock.

Waterstone Financial Company Profile

Waterstone Financial, Inc operates as a bank holding company for WaterStone Bank SSB that provides various financial services to customers in southeastern Wisconsin, the United States. It operates in two segments, Community Banking and Mortgage Banking. The Community Banking segment offers consumer and business banking products and services, such as deposit and transactional solutions, including checking accounts, online banking and bill pay services, money transfer services, as well as credit, debit, and pre-paid cards; investable funds solutions comprising savings, money market deposits, individual retirement accounts, and certificates of deposit; residential mortgages, home equity loans and lines of credit, personal and installment loans, real estate financing, business loans, and business lines of credit; and fixed and variable annuities, insurance products, and trust and investment management accounts.