Westamerica Bancorporation (NASDAQ:WABC) Holdings Boosted by Commonwealth Equity Services LLC

Commonwealth Equity Services LLC raised its stake in Westamerica Bancorporation (NASDAQ:WABC) by 5.5% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 37,366 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 1,940 shares during the period. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC owned 0.14% of Westamerica Bancorporation worth $1,960,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in WABC. Golden State Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Westamerica Bancorporation in the 4th quarter worth approximately $65,000. KBC Group NV increased its position in Westamerica Bancorporation by 71.4% in the fourth quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 1,974 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $104,000 after buying an additional 822 shares during the period. GAMMA Investing LLC increased its position in Westamerica Bancorporation by 14.1% in the fourth quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 2,166 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $114,000 after buying an additional 268 shares during the period. One Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in Westamerica Bancorporation in the fourth quarter valued at $210,000. Finally, Mutual of America Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Westamerica Bancorporation during the fourth quarter valued at $212,000. 81.89% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Westamerica Bancorporation Stock Down 1.0 %

Westamerica Bancorporation stock opened at $50.90 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.36 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.79 and a beta of 0.55. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $50.93 and a 200-day simple moving average of $52.02. Westamerica Bancorporation has a one year low of $45.11 and a one year high of $59.97. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.15, a quick ratio of 0.26 and a current ratio of 0.27.

Westamerica Bancorporation (NASDAQ:WABC) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 16th. The financial services provider reported $1.19 EPS 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 period last year, the company earned $1.48 EPS. As a group, equities analysts expect that Westamerica Bancorporation will post 4.35 earnings per share for the current year.

Westamerica Bancorporation Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 14th. Investors of record on Monday, February 3rd were given a $0.44 dividend. This represents a $1.76 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.46%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, February 3rd. Westamerica Bancorporation’s dividend payout ratio is currently 33.85%.

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.