Wintrust Financial (NASDAQ:WTFC) Raised to "Hold" at Wall Street Zen

Key Points

• Wall Street Zen upgraded Wintrust Financial from “sell” to “hold.” Despite the change, the broader analyst consensus remains “Moderate Buy,” with nine Buy ratings, five Holds, and an average price target of $176.50.
• Wintrust reported quarterly EPS of $3.30, topping the $3.15 consensus estimate, while revenue rose 10.1% year over year to $738.63 million.
• WTFC opened at $146.11, with a market capitalization of approximately $9.86 billion; institutional investors own a substantial 93.48% of the company’s shares.

Wintrust Financial (NASDAQ:WTFC - Get Free Report) was upgraded by stock analysts at Wall Street Zen from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Saturday, Wall Street Zen reports.

Several other equities analysts have also weighed in on the company. DA Davidson lifted their price target on Wintrust Financial from $185.00 to $190.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 22nd. Weiss Ratings reiterated a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Wintrust Financial in a research report on Monday, June 29th. Truist Financial raised their price objective on Wintrust Financial from $170.00 to $183.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, July 10th. Raymond James Financial started coverage on Wintrust Financial in a research report on Tuesday, July 7th. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $180.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Citigroup downgraded Wintrust Financial from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 21st. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $176.50.

Wintrust Financial Stock Performance

WTFC opened at $146.11 on Friday. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $154.83 and a 200 day moving average price of $151.06. Wintrust Financial has a 1 year low of $119.61 and a 1 year high of $167.21. The stock has a market cap of $9.86 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.74 and a beta of 0.84. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62, a current ratio of 0.98 and a quick ratio of 0.97.

Wintrust Financial (NASDAQ:WTFC - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Monday, July 20th. The bank reported $3.30 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.15 by $0.15. The company had revenue of $738.63 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $735.36 million. Wintrust Financial had a net margin of 20.72% and a return on equity of 13.37%. The firm's revenue was up 10.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $2.78 earnings per share. Equities research analysts anticipate that Wintrust Financial will post 13.07 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Wintrust Financial news, COO David Dykstra sold 13,515 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $162.77, for a total value of $2,199,836.55. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer owned 166,449 shares in the company, valued at approximately $27,092,903.73. This represents a 7.51% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Insiders own 1.24% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Wintrust Financial

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. purchased a new position in Wintrust Financial during the second quarter worth approximately $27,000. Barrow Hanley Mewhinney & Strauss LLC purchased a new stake in Wintrust Financial in the 2nd quarter valued at $36,000. Harbour Investments Inc. grew its holdings in Wintrust Financial by 72.7% in the 4th quarter. Harbour Investments Inc. now owns 240 shares of the bank's stock valued at $34,000 after buying an additional 101 shares in the last quarter. Measured Wealth Private Client Group LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Wintrust Financial in the 1st quarter worth $35,000. Finally, Transamerica Financial Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Wintrust Financial during the 2nd quarter worth $42,000. 93.48% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Wintrust Financial

Wintrust Financial Corporation NASDAQ: WTFC is a financial services company and bank holding company headquartered in Rosemont, Illinois. Founded in 1991, the company operates a network of community banks that serve individuals, families, businesses and institutions.

Wintrust's banking operations provide deposit accounts, commercial and consumer lending, mortgage financing, treasury management, payment services and other traditional banking products. Through specialized subsidiaries and affiliated businesses, the company also offers wealth management, investment services, insurance premium financing, equipment leasing and related financial solutions.

The company primarily serves communities in the greater Chicago metropolitan area and has expanded its banking presence into surrounding Midwestern markets, including parts of Wisconsin and Indiana.

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