WaFd (WAFD) Stock Price, News & Analysis

Company Overview

Washington Federal, Inc. (NASDAQ: WAFD), doing business as WaFd Bank, is a federally chartered savings bank headquartered in Seattle, Washington. Founded in 1917, the company has grown from a single thrift association into a publicly traded bank holding company that provides a comprehensive range of financial products and services. With roots in community banking, WaFd Bank seeks to balance its regional presence with a focus on personalized customer service and prudent risk management.

WaFd Bank’s core business activities encompass retail and commercial banking, mortgage lending, and treasury management. On the consumer side, the bank offers checking and savings accounts, certificates of deposit, personal loans, home equity lines of credit and a variety of mortgage solutions, including government-backed and jumbo mortgage products. For businesses, WaFd Bank delivers commercial real estate financing, equipment loans, lines of credit and specialized treasury services designed to support cash management, digital payments and risk mitigation. The company also serves the needs of nonprofit organizations, government entities and public agencies through tailored financial solutions.

Over the decades, Washington Federal has expanded its geographic footprint through a series of strategic acquisitions and branch openings across the Western United States and Texas. Today, WaFd Bank operates more than 200 branches in Washington, Oregon, California, Idaho, Nevada, Utah, Arizona and Texas. The bank’s leadership team is headed by President and Chief Executive Officer Brent J. Beardall, who is supported by a seasoned executive group with extensive experience in banking, finance and risk management. Committed to community involvement, WaFd Bank maintains a strong local focus, partnering with nonprofit organizations and regional development initiatives to support economic growth and financial wellness in the markets it serves.

Key Stats

• Today's Range: $31.05 to $31.44
• 50-Day Range: $27.63 to $31.21
• 52-Week Range: $23.75 to $38.62
• Volume: 255,652 shs
• Average Volume: 534,180 shs
• Market Capitalization: $2.50 billion
• P/E Ratio: 11.78
• Dividend Yield: 3.46%
• Price Target: $30.50
• Consensus Rating: Hold

WaFd Stock Analysis - MarketRank™

WaFd scored higher than 84% of companies evaluated by MarketBeat, and ranked 751st out of 2,763 stocks in the finance sector. Scores are calculated by averaging available category scores, with extra weight given to analysis and valuation.

Analyst's Opinion

• Score: 1.0 / 5
• Analyst Rating: Hold

Consensus Rating

WaFd has received a consensus rating of Hold. The company's average rating score is 2.00, and is based on no buy ratings, 4 hold ratings, and no sell ratings.

Amount of Analyst Coverage

WaFd has only been the subject of 2 research reports in the past 90 days.

Earnings and Valuation

• Score: 3.1 / 5
• Proj. Earnings Growth: 13.67%

Earnings Growth

Earnings for WaFd are expected to grow by 13.67% in the coming year, from $2.56 to $2.91 per share.

Price to Earnings Ratio vs. the Market

The P/E ratio of WaFd is 11.78, which means that it is trading at a less expensive P/E ratio than the market average P/E ratio of about 25.55.

Price to Earnings Ratio vs. Sector

The P/E ratio of WaFd is 11.78, which means that it is trading at a less expensive P/E ratio than the Finance sector average P/E ratio of about 20.06.

Price to Book Value per Share Ratio

WaFd has a P/B Ratio of 0.94. P/B Ratios below 1 indicate that a company could be undervalued with respect to its assets and liabilities.

Short Interest

• Score: 4.0 / 5
• Short Interest Level: Healthy

Percentage of Shares Shorted

3.43% of the float of WaFd has been sold short.

Short Interest Ratio / Days to Cover

WaFd has a short interest ratio ("days to cover") of 5.

Change versus previous month

Short interest in WaFd has recently decreased by 8.14%, indicating that investor sentiment is improving significantly.

Dividend

• Score: 3.3 / 5
• Dividend Strength: Strong

Dividend Leadership

WaFd is a leading dividend payer. It pays a dividend yield of 3.55%, putting its dividend yield in the top 25% of dividend-paying stocks.

Dividend Growth

WaFd has only been increasing its dividend for 2 years.

Dividend Coverage

The dividend payout ratio of WaFd is 40.75%. This payout ratio is at a healthy, sustainable level, below 75%.

Dividend Sustainability

Based on earnings estimates, WaFd will have a dividend payout ratio of 37.11% next year. This indicates that WaFd will be able to sustain or increase its dividend.

Sustainability and ESG

• Score: 3.0 / 5
• Environmental Score: -0.58

Percentage of Shares Shorted

3.43% of the float of WaFd has been sold short.

Short Interest Ratio / Days to Cover

WaFd has a short interest ratio ("days to cover") of 5.

Change versus previous month

Short interest in WaFd has recently decreased by 8.14%, indicating that investor sentiment is improving significantly.

News and Social Media

• Score: 1.0 / 5
• News Sentiment: -0.29

News Sentiment

WaFd has a news sentiment score of -0.29. This score is calculated as an average of sentiment of articles about the company over the last seven days and ranges from 2 (good news) to -2 (bad news). This is a lower news sentiment than the 0.69 average news sentiment score of Finance companies.

News Coverage This Week

MarketBeat has tracked 12 news articles for WaFd this week, compared to 4 articles on an average week.

Company Ownership

• Score: 1.7 / 5
• Insider Trading: N/A

Insider Buying vs. Insider Selling

In the past three months, WaFd insiders have not sold or bought any company stock.

Percentage Held by Insiders

Only 1.46% of the stock of WaFd is held by insiders.

Percentage Held by Institutions

83.71% of the stock of WaFd is held by institutions. High institutional ownership can be a signal of strong market trust in this company.

WAFD Stock Analysis - Frequently Asked Questions

How have WAFD shares performed this year?

WaFd's stock was trading at $32.24 at the beginning of 2025. Since then, WAFD shares have decreased by 3.2% and is now trading at $31.21.

How were WaFd's earnings last quarter?

WaFd, Inc. (NASDAQ:WAFD) issued its quarterly earnings results on Friday, April, 11th. The bank reported $0.65 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.60 by $0.05. The bank had revenue of $179.79 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $184.17 million. WaFd had a trailing twelve-month return on equity of 8.74% and a net margin of 15.13%.

How do I buy shares of WaFd?

Shares of WAFD stock can be purchased through any online brokerage account. Popular online brokerages with access to the U.S. stock market include Charles Schwab, E*TRADE, Fidelity, and Vanguard Brokerage Services.

What other stocks do shareholders of WaFd own?

Based on aggregate information from My MarketBeat watchlists, some other companies that WaFd investors own include Humana (HUM), American Water Works (AWK), Waste Connections (WCN), Voyager Therapeutics (VYGR), The RMR Group (RMR), Southern First Bancshares (SFST) and DiamondRock Hospitality (DRH).

Company Calendar

• Last Earnings: 4/11/2025
• Record date for 6/6 Dividend: 5/23/2025
• Ex-Dividend for 6/6 Dividend: 5/23/2025
• Dividend Payable: 6/06/2025
• Today: 7/04/2025
• Next Earnings (Estimated): 7/15/2025
• Fiscal Year End: 9/30/2025

Industry, Sector and Symbol

• Stock Exchange: NASDAQ
• Sector: Finance
• Industry: BANKS - WEST
• Sub-Industry: Thrifts & Mortgage Finance
• Current Symbol: NASDAQ:WAFD
• CIK: 936528
• Web: www.washingtonfederal.com
• Phone: (206) 624-7930
• Fax: 206-626-8520
• Employees: 2,208
• Year Founded: N/A

Price Target and Rating

• Average Stock Price Target: $30.50
• High Stock Price Target: $32.00
• Low Stock Price Target: $29.00
• Potential Upside/Downside: -2.3%
• Consensus Rating: Hold
• Rating Score (0-4): 2.00
• Research Coverage: 4 Analysts

Profitability

• EPS (Trailing Twelve Months): $2.65
• Trailing P/E Ratio: 11.78
• Forward P/E Ratio: 12.19
• P/E Growth: N/A
• Net Income: $200.04 million
• Net Margins: 15.13%
• Pretax Margin: 19.52%
• Return on Equity: 8.74%
• Return on Assets: 0.84%

Debt

• Debt-to-Equity Ratio: 1.01
• Current Ratio: 1.02
• Quick Ratio: 1.02

Sales & Book Value

• Annual Sales: $734.08 million
• Price / Sales: 3.41
• Cash Flow: $4.64 per share
• Price / Cash Flow: 6.72
• Book Value: $33.25 per share
• Price / Book: 0.94

Miscellaneous

• Outstanding Shares: 80,158,000
• Free Float: 78,988,000
• Market Cap: $2.50 billion
• Optionable: Optionable
• Beta: 0.84