Golden State Wealth Management LLC Invests $65,000 in Westamerica Bancorporation (NASDAQ:WABC)

Golden State Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Westamerica Bancorporation (NASDAQ:WABC) during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm acquired 1,245 shares of the financial services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $65,000.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in WABC. Victory Capital Management Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Westamerica Bancorporation by 58.5% during the 3rd quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 34,428 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $1,701,000 after buying an additional 12,702 shares during the period. Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd bought a new stake in Westamerica Bancorporation during the third quarter valued at about $848,000. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans boosted its holdings in Westamerica Bancorporation by 23.2% during the third quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans now owns 61,990 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $3,064,000 after acquiring an additional 11,674 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its position in shares of Westamerica Bancorporation by 4.1% in 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 last quarter. Finally, Hennion & Walsh Asset Management Inc. bought a new position in shares of Westamerica Bancorporation in the fourth quarter worth about $245,000. 81.89% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Westamerica Bancorporation Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ WABC opened at $50.42 on Tuesday. Westamerica Bancorporation has a one year low of $44.05 and a one year high of $59.97. The company has a current ratio of 0.27, a quick ratio of 0.26 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.15. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $52.71 and a 200 day simple moving average of $52.07. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.35 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.70 and a beta of 0.57.

Westamerica Bancorporation (NASDAQ:WABC) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, January 16th. The financial services provider reported $1.19 earnings per share for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $1.19. Westamerica Bancorporation had a net margin of 44.55% and a return on equity of 16.15%. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $1.48 EPS. Sell-side analysts expect that Westamerica Bancorporation will post 4.35 EPS for the current year.

Westamerica Bancorporation Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 14th. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 3rd will be paid a dividend of $0.44 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, February 3rd. This represents a $1.76 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.49%. Westamerica Bancorporation’s dividend payout ratio is currently 33.85%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Separately, StockNews.com upgraded 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.