Short Interest in Westamerica Bancorporation (NASDAQ:WABC) Rises By 21.7%

Westamerica Bancorporation (NASDAQ:WABC - Get Free Report) was the recipient of a large increase in short interest during the month of March. As of March 15th, there was short interest totalling 280,700 shares, an increase of 21.7% from the February 28th total of 230,700 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 139,800 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 2.0 days. Currently, 1.1% of the company's stock are sold short.

Westamerica Bancorporation Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ WABC traded down $2.13 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $48.00. The company's stock had a trading volume of 344,875 shares, compared to its average volume of 123,804. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.28 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.23 and a beta of 0.55. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.15, a current ratio of 0.27 and a quick ratio of 0.26. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $50.70 and a 200-day moving average price of $52.04. Westamerica Bancorporation has a 12-month low of $45.11 and a 12-month high of $59.97.

Westamerica Bancorporation (NASDAQ:WABC - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 16th. The financial services provider reported $1.19 earnings per share for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $1.19. Westamerica Bancorporation had a return on equity of 16.15% and a net margin of 44.55%. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $1.48 EPS. As a group, equities analysts predict that Westamerica Bancorporation will post 4.35 earnings per share for the current year.

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Westamerica Bancorporation Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 14th. Investors of record on Monday, February 3rd were issued a dividend of $0.44 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, February 3rd. This represents a $1.76 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.67%. Westamerica Bancorporation's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 33.85%.

Institutional Trading of Westamerica Bancorporation

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in WABC. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its stake in shares of Westamerica Bancorporation by 1.0% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 3,505,495 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $183,898,000 after purchasing an additional 34,762 shares during the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP grew its holdings in Westamerica Bancorporation by 1.1% during the fourth quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 875,300 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $45,919,000 after purchasing an additional 9,928 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its position in Westamerica Bancorporation by 2.4% in the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 753,088 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $39,515,000 after buying an additional 17,649 shares during the last quarter. Northern Trust Corp raised its stake in shares of Westamerica Bancorporation by 17.7% in the fourth quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 393,998 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $20,669,000 after buying an additional 59,325 shares during the period. Finally, Nuveen Asset Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Westamerica Bancorporation by 18.6% in the fourth quarter. Nuveen Asset Management LLC now owns 334,637 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $17,555,000 after buying an additional 52,399 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 81.89% of the company's stock.

Westamerica Bancorporation Company Profile

Westamerica Bancorporation operates as a bank holding company for the Westamerica Bank that provides various banking products and services to individual and commercial customers. The company accepts various deposit products, including retail savings and checking accounts, as well as certificates of deposit.