Bankwell Financial Group (NASDAQ:BWFG) Stock Passes Above Fifty Day Moving Average - Should You Sell?

Key Points

• BWFG shares moved above their 50-day moving average, trading as high as $52.03 and last changing hands at $51.35, a sign of improving near-term momentum.
• Analyst sentiment is mixed but still constructive: the stock carries a Moderate Buy consensus with a $52.00 price target, while recent calls ranged from “market perform” to “outperform” and one downgrade to “hold.”
• Bankwell reported better-than-expected quarterly EPS of $1.41 versus $1.23 expected and also announced a quarterly dividend of $0.20 per share, implying a 1.6% annualized yield.

Bankwell Financial Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:BWFG - Get Free Report)'s stock price crossed above its fifty day moving average during trading on Monday . The stock has a fifty day moving average of $49.54 and traded as high as $52.03. Bankwell Financial Group shares last traded at $51.35, with a volume of 25,812 shares.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts recently weighed in on BWFG shares. Hovde Group lifted their price target on Bankwell Financial Group from $48.00 to $49.00 and gave the stock a "market perform" rating in a report on Monday, February 2nd. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lifted their price target on Bankwell Financial Group from $53.00 to $55.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Monday, February 2nd. Finally, Wall Street Zen cut Bankwell Financial Group from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Sunday, May 3rd. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Bankwell Financial Group currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $52.00.

Bankwell Financial Group Stock Performance

The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $49.54 and a 200 day simple moving average of $47.82. The company has a current ratio of 1.05, a quick ratio of 1.05 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42. The stock has a market cap of $409.26 million, a P/E ratio of 10.31 and a beta of 0.63.

Bankwell Financial Group (NASDAQ:BWFG - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 22nd. The bank reported $1.41 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.23 by $0.18. Bankwell Financial Group had a return on equity of 13.31% and a net margin of 18.71%.The firm had revenue of $30.23 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $30.47 million. On average, equities analysts expect that Bankwell Financial Group, Inc. will post 5.35 earnings per share for the current year.

Bankwell Financial Group Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, May 19th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 8th will be paid a dividend of $0.20 per share. This represents a $0.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.6%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 8th. Bankwell Financial Group's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 16.06%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director Lawrence B. Seidman acquired 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 12th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $46.88 per share, for a total transaction of $468,800.00. Following the purchase, the director directly owned 216,904 shares in the company, valued at approximately $10,168,459.52. The trade was a 4.83% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director Eric J. Dale purchased 612 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Friday, March 6th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $46.00 per share, for a total transaction of $28,152.00. Following the purchase, the director owned 41,908 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,927,768. The trade was a 1.48% increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have purchased a total of 26,816 shares of company stock worth $1,256,874 in the last 90 days. Company insiders own 20.98% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Bankwell Financial Group

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP increased its stake in shares of Bankwell Financial Group by 1.5% in the 1st quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 319,241 shares of the bank's stock valued at $15,489,000 after purchasing an additional 4,795 shares during the last quarter. Assetmark Inc. bought a new position in shares of Bankwell Financial Group in the 1st quarter valued at $146,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp increased its stake in shares of Bankwell Financial Group by 6.2% in the 1st quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 22,311 shares of the bank's stock valued at $1,083,000 after purchasing an additional 1,309 shares during the last quarter. Hillsdale Investment Management Inc. increased its stake in shares of Bankwell Financial Group by 6.0% in the 1st quarter. Hillsdale Investment Management Inc. now owns 105,900 shares of the bank's stock valued at $5,138,000 after purchasing an additional 6,000 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Hsbc Holdings PLC increased its stake in shares of Bankwell Financial Group by 4.9% in the 1st quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC now owns 19,870 shares of the bank's stock valued at $967,000 after purchasing an additional 932 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 35.80% of the company's stock.

Bankwell Financial Group Company Profile

Bankwell Financial Group, Inc is a bank holding company headquartered in Westchester, Illinois, and serves as the parent of Bankwell Bank. Through its subsidiary, the company provides a full suite of banking products and services designed for both individual consumers and small‐ to mid‐sized businesses. Bankwell Bank operates multiple branches across suburban Cook and Lake counties, focusing on personalized service and local decision‐making.

The company's deposit offerings include checking, savings and money market accounts, as well as certificates of deposit, all supported by an online and mobile banking platform for convenient account access.

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