Jefferies Financial Group Inc. Acquires Shares of 12,250 Westamerica Bancorporation (NASDAQ:WABC)

Jefferies Financial Group Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Westamerica Bancorporation (NASDAQ:WABC - Free Report) in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund acquired 12,250 shares of the financial services provider's stock, valued at approximately $643,000.

Other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC raised its position in Westamerica Bancorporation by 7.7% in the 4th quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 58,758 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $3,082,000 after buying an additional 4,206 shares during the last quarter. Voloridge Investment Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Westamerica Bancorporation by 89.3% in the 4th quarter. Voloridge Investment Management LLC now owns 16,401 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $860,000 after purchasing an additional 7,739 shares during the period. Squarepoint Ops LLC purchased a new position in Westamerica Bancorporation in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $240,000. Two Sigma Advisers LP increased its position in Westamerica Bancorporation by 15.1% in the fourth quarter. Two Sigma Advisers LP now owns 61,600 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $3,232,000 after buying an additional 8,100 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Nuveen Asset Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Westamerica Bancorporation by 18.6% in the fourth quarter. Nuveen Asset Management LLC now owns 334,637 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $17,555,000 after buying an additional 52,399 shares during the period. 81.89% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts recently issued reports on WABC shares. Piper Sandler dropped their price objective on Westamerica Bancorporation from $54.00 to $50.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Monday, April 21st. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lowered their price target on shares of Westamerica Bancorporation from $58.00 to $55.00 and set a "market perform" rating on the stock in a report on Monday, April 21st. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised shares of Westamerica Bancorporation from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, May 13th.

Westamerica Bancorporation Trading Down 0.7%

NASDAQ WABC traded down $0.33 on Friday, hitting $48.13. The company's stock had a trading volume of 132,204 shares, compared to its average volume of 136,926. The company has a current ratio of 0.27, a quick ratio of 0.26 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.15. Westamerica Bancorporation has a 52-week low of $42.00 and a 52-week high of $59.97. The firm has a market cap of $1.26 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.26 and a beta of 0.64. The company's 50-day simple moving average is $48.10 and its 200 day simple moving average is $51.07.

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

Westamerica Bancorporation Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 16th. Stockholders of record on Monday, May 5th were given a $0.46 dividend. This is a boost from Westamerica Bancorporation's previous quarterly dividend of $0.44. This represents a $1.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.82%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, May 5th. Westamerica Bancorporation's payout ratio is currently 36.87%.

Insider Transactions at Westamerica Bancorporation

In other Westamerica Bancorporation news, SVP John A. Thorson sold 2,243 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Monday, April 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $48.57, for a total transaction of $108,942.51. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 11,591 shares in the company, valued at approximately $562,974.87. This represents a 16.21% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, SVP Robert James Baker, Jr. sold 710 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, April 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $48.16, for a total transaction of $34,193.60. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 5.30% of the company's stock.

About Westamerica Bancorporation

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.