Royce & Associates LP Grows Position in Westamerica Bancorporation (NASDAQ:WABC)

Royce & Associates LP raised its stake in shares of Westamerica Bancorporation (NASDAQ:WABC - Free Report) by 43.2% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 27,456 shares of the financial services provider's stock after purchasing an additional 8,286 shares during the quarter. Royce & Associates LP owned 0.10% of Westamerica Bancorporation worth $1,440,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Golden State Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Westamerica Bancorporation in the 4th quarter worth approximately $65,000. KBC Group NV grew its position in shares of Westamerica Bancorporation by 71.4% in the 4th quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 1,974 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $104,000 after purchasing an additional 822 shares during the period. GAMMA Investing LLC increased its holdings in Westamerica Bancorporation by 14.1% during the 4th quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 2,166 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $114,000 after purchasing an additional 268 shares in the last quarter. One Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Westamerica Bancorporation in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $210,000. Finally, Mutual of America Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in Westamerica Bancorporation during the fourth quarter worth about $212,000. 81.89% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Westamerica Bancorporation Stock Performance

WABC stock traded down $0.65 during trading hours on Tuesday, reaching $51.37. The stock had a trading volume of 137,281 shares, compared to its average volume of 112,865. Westamerica Bancorporation has a fifty-two week low of $45.11 and a fifty-two week high of $59.97. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.37 billion, a PE ratio of 9.88 and a beta of 0.55. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $50.95 and a 200 day simple moving average of $52.02. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.15, a current ratio of 0.27 and a quick ratio of 0.26.

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Westamerica Bancorporation (NASDAQ:WABC - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 16th. The financial services provider reported $1.19 EPS for the quarter, meeting analysts' consensus estimates of $1.19. Westamerica Bancorporation had a return on equity of 16.15% and a net margin of 44.55%. During the same period last year, the business posted $1.48 EPS. Analysts predict that Westamerica Bancorporation will post 4.35 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Westamerica Bancorporation Announces Dividend

The company 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. This represents a $1.76 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.43%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, February 3rd. Westamerica Bancorporation's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 33.85%.

About Westamerica Bancorporation

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.