Short Interest in Westamerica Bancorporation (NASDAQ:WABC) Decreases By 18.9%

Westamerica Bancorporation (NASDAQ:WABC - Get Free Report) saw a large decline in short interest during the month of December. As of December 15th, there was short interest totalling 181,000 shares, a decline of 18.9% from the November 30th total of 223,300 shares. Approximately 0.7% of the shares of the stock are sold short. Based on an average trading volume of 113,500 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 1.6 days.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. American Century Companies Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Westamerica Bancorporation by 11.7% in the second quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 1,904,399 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $92,421,000 after buying an additional 199,721 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP lifted its position in shares of Westamerica Bancorporation by 5.1% during the second quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 861,398 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $41,801,000 after purchasing an additional 41,841 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Westamerica Bancorporation by 4.1% during the third quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 735,439 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $36,352,000 after purchasing an additional 28,902 shares during the period. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Westamerica Bancorporation by 7.4% in the third quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 334,297 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $16,521,000 after purchasing an additional 22,902 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Sei Investments Co. increased its stake in Westamerica Bancorporation by 10.6% in the 2nd quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 134,324 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $6,519,000 after buying an additional 12,888 shares during the period. 81.89% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Westamerica Bancorporation Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ WABC traded down $0.54 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $52.51. 85,520 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 128,313. The company's 50 day moving average is $54.89 and its 200 day moving average is $51.72. Westamerica Bancorporation has a one year low of $43.82 and a one year high of $59.97. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.15, a current ratio of 0.26 and a quick ratio of 0.26. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.40 billion, a PE ratio of 9.56 and a beta of 0.57.

Westamerica Bancorporation (NASDAQ:WABC - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 17th. The financial services provider reported $1.27 EPS for the quarter, hitting analysts' consensus estimates of $1.27. Westamerica Bancorporation had a net margin of 45.73% and a return on equity of 17.67%. The business had revenue of $74.07 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $72.74 million. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Westamerica Bancorporation will post 5.17 earnings per share for the current year.

Westamerica Bancorporation Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, November 15th. Investors of record on Monday, November 4th were given a $0.44 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, November 4th. This represents a $1.76 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.35%. Westamerica Bancorporation's dividend payout ratio is presently 32.06%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Separately, StockNews.com raised shares of Westamerica Bancorporation from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Thursday, October 17th.

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.