West Bancorporation (NASDAQ:WTBA) Rating Lowered to Sell at StockNews.com

West Bancorporation (NASDAQ:WTBA - Get Free Report) was downgraded by equities research analysts at StockNews.com from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a note issued to investors on Wednesday.

Separately, Piper Sandler cut their price target on shares of West Bancorporation from $25.00 to $23.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Monday, January 27th.

West Bancorporation Price Performance

West Bancorporation stock traded down $0.27 during midday trading on Wednesday, hitting $21.93. The company's stock had a trading volume of 64,473 shares, compared to its average volume of 26,534. West Bancorporation has a 12 month low of $15.80 and a 12 month high of $24.85. The company has a quick ratio of 0.95, a current ratio of 0.95 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.86. The company has a market capitalization of $369.15 million, a PE ratio of 15.34 and a beta of 0.98. The stock's 50-day moving average price is $22.27 and its 200-day moving average price is $20.95.

West Bancorporation (NASDAQ:WTBA - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, January 23rd. The financial services provider reported $0.42 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.40 by $0.02. West Bancorporation had a net margin of 12.12% and a return on equity of 10.56%. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $0.27 earnings per share. Analysts anticipate that West Bancorporation will post 1.65 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In other West Bancorporation news, Director Douglas R. Gulling sold 4,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $23.61, for a total value of $94,440.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 80,709 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,905,539.49. This represents a 4.72 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 4.48% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On West Bancorporation

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. SG Americas Securities LLC bought a new position in West Bancorporation during the third quarter valued at about $114,000. City State Bank increased its holdings in shares of West Bancorporation by 6.4% during the 4th quarter. City State Bank now owns 8,354 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $181,000 after acquiring an additional 499 shares during the last quarter. Barclays PLC raised its stake in shares of West Bancorporation by 291.2% in the 3rd quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 20,977 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $398,000 after acquiring an additional 15,615 shares in the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted its holdings in West Bancorporation by 267.5% in the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 25,946 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $493,000 after purchasing an additional 18,885 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Mutual Advisors LLC boosted its position in West Bancorporation by 2.6% during the fourth quarter. Mutual Advisors LLC now owns 28,176 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $594,000 after purchasing an additional 713 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 44.30% of the company's stock.

West Bancorporation Company Profile

West Bancorporation, Inc operates as the financial holding company provides community banking and trust services to individuals and small- to medium-sized businesses in the United States. It offers deposit services, including checking, savings, and money market accounts, as well as time certificates of deposit.