Waterstone Financial (NASDAQ:WSBF) Rating Increased to Buy at StockNews.com

StockNews.com upgraded shares of Waterstone Financial (NASDAQ:WSBF - Free Report) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report released on Wednesday morning.

Waterstone Financial Price Performance

WSBF stock remained flat at $13.82 during midday trading on Wednesday. 31,292 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 44,137. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $13.62 and a 200-day moving average of $14.41. The company has a market cap of $267.00 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.68 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. Waterstone Financial has a 52 week low of $10.60 and a 52 week high of $16.86.

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

Waterstone Financial Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, February 3rd. Investors of record on Wednesday, January 8th were issued a $0.15 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, January 8th. This represents a $0.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.34%. Waterstone Financial's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 59.41%.

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Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, Director Patrick S. Lawton sold 37,500 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $14.03, for a total transaction of $526,125.00. Following the sale, the director now owns 49,131 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $689,307.93. This trade represents a 43.29 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director Stephen J. Schmidt sold 14,928 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, January 31st. The stock was sold at an average price of $13.80, for a total value of $206,006.40. Following the sale, the director now owns 70,078 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $967,076.40. The trade was a 17.56 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 67,147 shares of company stock worth $936,511 over the last 90 days. 8.30% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Waterstone Financial

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in WSBF. Wells Fargo & Company MN increased 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 purchasing an additional 2,055 shares in the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE lifted its stake in shares of Waterstone Financial by 8.0% in the 4th quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 31,552 shares of the savings and loans company's stock worth $424,000 after acquiring an additional 2,350 shares during the period. Barclays PLC boosted its holdings in shares of Waterstone Financial by 16.1% in the fourth quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 24,187 shares of the savings and loans company's stock valued at $325,000 after acquiring an additional 3,363 shares in the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC increased its stake in shares of Waterstone Financial by 5.0% during the fourth quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 77,773 shares of the savings and loans company's stock worth $1,045,000 after acquiring an additional 3,705 shares during the period. Finally, Bridgeway Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in Waterstone Financial by 0.9% during the fourth quarter. Bridgeway Capital Management LLC now owns 431,520 shares of the savings and loans company's stock worth $5,800,000 after purchasing an additional 3,705 shares in the last quarter. 62.71% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Waterstone Financial

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.