Westamerica Bancorporation (NASDAQ:WABC) SVP Robert James Baker, Jr. Sells 705 Shares

Westamerica Bancorporation (NASDAQ:WABC - Get Free Report) SVP Robert James Baker, Jr. sold 705 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Monday, July 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $52.73, for a total transaction of $37,174.65. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now owns 244 shares in the company, valued at $12,866.12. The trade was a 74.29 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink.

Westamerica Bancorporation Stock Up 2.3 %

NASDAQ:WABC traded up $1.16 during midday trading on Tuesday, hitting $51.38. 104,598 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 114,668. The company has a market capitalization of $1.37 billion, a PE ratio of 9.88 and a beta of 0.57. Westamerica Bancorporation has a fifty-two week low of $43.82 and a fifty-two week high of $59.97. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $53.20 and a 200 day simple moving average of $52.16. The company has a current ratio of 0.27, a quick ratio of 0.26 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.15.

Westamerica Bancorporation (NASDAQ:WABC - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 16th. The financial services provider reported $1.19 EPS 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 quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $1.48 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Westamerica Bancorporation will post 4.35 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Westamerica Bancorporation Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 14th. Investors of record on Monday, February 3rd will be paid a $0.44 dividend. This represents a $1.76 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.43%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, February 3rd. Westamerica Bancorporation's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 33.85%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Westamerica Bancorporation

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. raised its stake in Westamerica Bancorporation by 54.2% in the 3rd quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 129,976 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $6,423,000 after purchasing an additional 45,708 shares during the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. grew its stake in shares of Westamerica Bancorporation by 68.0% during the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 81,459 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $4,026,000 after buying an additional 32,981 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Westamerica Bancorporation by 4.1% during the 3rd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 735,439 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $36,352,000 after buying an additional 28,902 shares during the last quarter. Barclays PLC raised its position in shares of Westamerica Bancorporation by 103.8% in the 3rd quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 52,755 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $2,606,000 after buying an additional 26,871 shares during the period. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. raised its position in shares of Westamerica Bancorporation by 7.4% in the 3rd quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 334,297 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $16,521,000 after buying an additional 22,902 shares during the period. 81.89% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Separately, StockNews.com raised Westamerica Bancorporation from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research 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.