WaFd (NASDAQ:WAFD) Stock Lifted to Strong-Buy by Zacks Research

Key Points

• Zacks Research upgraded WaFd to “strong buy” from “hold” and projected fiscal 2027 earnings of $3.36 per share. The broader analyst consensus remains “Moderate Buy,” with an average price target of $35.25.
• WaFd shares opened at $29.92, down 0.8%, and remain below their 50-day and 200-day moving averages. The bank recently reported $0.81 in quarterly EPS, narrowly missing estimates, while revenue exceeded expectations.
• Institutional investors own approximately 83.71% of WaFd’s stock, with several hedge funds recently increasing or initiating positions, including Congress Asset Management and Corient Private Wealth.

WaFd (NASDAQ:WAFD - Get Free Report) was upgraded by Zacks Research from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report issued on Monday, Zacks reports. Zacks Research also issued estimates for WaFd's FY2027 earnings at $3.36 EPS.

Several other research firms also recently weighed in on WAFD. Piper Sandler reduced their target price on shares of WaFd from $36.00 to $32.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, October 1st. DA Davidson dropped their price target on shares of WaFd from $40.00 to $37.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, September 9th. Finally, Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of WaFd from a "buy (b)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a report on Thursday, September 3rd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, one has given a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $35.25.

WaFd Stock Down 0.8%

Shares of NASDAQ WAFD opened at $29.92 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.20, a current ratio of 0.98 and a quick ratio of 0.98. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.21 billion, a PE ratio of 9.44 and a beta of 0.89. WaFd has a one year low of $26.31 and a one year high of $39.49. The business's fifty day moving average price is $34.74 and its 200-day moving average price is $35.13.

WaFd (NASDAQ:WAFD - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Friday, July 17th. The bank reported $0.81 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.82 by ($0.01). WaFd had a return on equity of 8.98% and a net margin of 18.47%.The firm had revenue of $205.52 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $199.56 million. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that WaFd will post 3.22 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Congress Asset Management Co. increased its stake in WaFd by 21.6% in the 3rd quarter. Congress Asset Management Co. now owns 338,027 shares of the bank's stock worth $10,117,000 after purchasing an additional 60,135 shares during the period. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC purchased a new stake in shares of WaFd during the second quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Squarepoint Ops LLC bought a new position in shares of WaFd in the second quarter worth approximately $308,000. Nykredit A S bought a new position in shares of WaFd in the second quarter worth approximately $52,000. Finally, Corient Private Wealth LP increased its stake in shares of WaFd by 26.3% in the second quarter. Corient Private Wealth LP now owns 68,899 shares of the bank's stock worth $2,644,000 after buying an additional 14,326 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 83.71% of the company's stock.

WaFd Company Profile

WaFd, Inc is a bank holding company headquartered in Seattle, Washington, and the parent company of WaFd Bank. Founded in 1917 as Washington Federal, the company adopted the WaFd name in 2024. WaFd Bank provides banking and financial services to individuals, families, businesses and nonprofit organizations.

The bank offers deposit accounts, residential mortgage lending, home equity financing, commercial real estate loans, commercial and industrial lending, construction financing and consumer banking products.

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