Two Sigma Advisers LP Buys 8,100 Shares of Westamerica Bancorporation (NASDAQ:WABC)

Two Sigma Advisers LP lifted its stake in shares of Westamerica Bancorporation (NASDAQ:WABC - Free Report) by 15.1% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 61,600 shares of the financial services provider's stock after acquiring an additional 8,100 shares during the period. Two Sigma Advisers LP owned 0.23% of Westamerica Bancorporation worth $3,232,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Nuveen Asset Management LLC raised its position in shares of Westamerica Bancorporation by 18.6% in the 4th quarter. Nuveen Asset Management LLC now owns 334,637 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $17,555,000 after purchasing an additional 52,399 shares in the last quarter. Millennium Management LLC lifted its holdings in Westamerica Bancorporation by 3.1% in the fourth quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 55,310 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $2,902,000 after purchasing an additional 1,647 shares during the period. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. lifted its position in Westamerica Bancorporation by 3.6% in the fourth quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 14,619 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $767,000 after purchasing an additional 510 shares during the period. Invenomic Capital Management LP acquired a new position in shares of Westamerica Bancorporation in the 4th quarter worth approximately $5,437,000. Finally, Jacobs Asset Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Westamerica Bancorporation by 12.9% during the 4th quarter. Jacobs Asset Management LLC now owns 131,250 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $6,885,000 after acquiring an additional 15,000 shares in the last quarter. 81.89% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Westamerica Bancorporation Trading Down 0.7%

NASDAQ:WABC traded down $0.33 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $48.13. The stock had a trading volume of 132,204 shares, compared to its average volume of 136,926. The business's 50 day moving average is $48.10 and its 200-day moving average is $51.03. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.15, a quick ratio of 0.26 and a current ratio of 0.27. The company has a market cap of $1.26 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.26 and a beta of 0.64. Westamerica Bancorporation has a one year low of $42.00 and a one year high of $59.97.

Westamerica Bancorporation (NASDAQ:WABC - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 17th. The financial services provider reported $1.16 EPS for the quarter, beating 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. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Westamerica Bancorporation will post 4.35 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Westamerica Bancorporation Increases Dividend

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

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

WABC has been the subject of a number of research reports. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods decreased their price objective on Westamerica Bancorporation from $58.00 to $55.00 and set a "market perform" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, April 21st. Piper Sandler decreased their target price on Westamerica Bancorporation from $54.00 to $50.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Monday, April 21st. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised shares of Westamerica Bancorporation from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 13th.

Insider Transactions at Westamerica Bancorporation

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

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.