Westamerica Bancorporation (NASDAQ:WABC) Shares Acquired by Aquatic Capital Management LLC

Aquatic Capital Management LLC raised its position in shares of Westamerica Bancorporation (NASDAQ:WABC - Free Report) by 6,513.0% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 6,613 shares of the financial services provider's stock after purchasing an additional 6,513 shares during the period. Aquatic Capital Management LLC's holdings in Westamerica Bancorporation were worth $347,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Sterling Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Westamerica Bancorporation by 815.6% during the 4th quarter. Sterling Capital Management LLC now owns 824 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $43,000 after acquiring an additional 734 shares in the last quarter. Golden State Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in Westamerica Bancorporation in the fourth quarter worth $65,000. KBC Group NV boosted its stake in shares of Westamerica Bancorporation by 71.4% in the 4th quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 1,974 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $104,000 after purchasing an additional 822 shares in the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its position in Westamerica Bancorporation by 14.1% in the 4th quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 2,166 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $114,000 after buying an additional 268 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Two Sigma Securities LLC bought a new position in Westamerica Bancorporation during the 4th quarter worth approximately $201,000. Institutional investors own 81.89% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have weighed in on the company. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lowered their price target on Westamerica Bancorporation from $58.00 to $55.00 and set a "market perform" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, April 21st. StockNews.com downgraded Westamerica Bancorporation from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research report on Monday. Finally, Piper Sandler decreased their target price on Westamerica Bancorporation from $54.00 to $50.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, April 21st.

Westamerica Bancorporation Trading Up 1.7 %

Westamerica Bancorporation stock traded up $0.82 during mid-day trading on Thursday, hitting $49.75. 29,824 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 129,994. Westamerica Bancorporation has a 12 month low of $42.00 and a 12 month high of $59.97. The firm's fifty day simple moving average is $48.60 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $51.54. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.33 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.57 and a beta of 0.64. The company has a quick ratio of 0.26, a current ratio of 0.27 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.15.

Westamerica Bancorporation (NASDAQ:WABC - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, April 17th. The financial services provider reported $1.16 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.09 by $0.07. Westamerica Bancorporation had a return on equity of 16.15% and a net margin of 44.55%. The company had revenue of $66.71 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $66.47 million. Analysts forecast that Westamerica Bancorporation will post 4.35 EPS for the current year.

Westamerica Bancorporation Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 16th. Stockholders of record on Monday, May 5th will be issued a $0.46 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, May 5th. This represents a $1.84 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.70%. This is an increase from Westamerica Bancorporation's previous quarterly dividend of $0.44. Westamerica Bancorporation's payout ratio is currently 36.87%.

Insider Activity at Westamerica Bancorporation

In other Westamerica Bancorporation news, SVP John A. Thorson sold 2,243 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Monday, April 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $48.57, for a total transaction of $108,942.51. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now owns 11,591 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $562,974.87. The trade was a 16.21 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, SVP Robert James Baker, Jr. sold 710 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, April 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $48.16, for a total value of $34,193.60. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 5.30% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Westamerica Bancorporation 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.