Two Sigma Investments LP Has $2.52 Million Stake in Westamerica Bancorporation (NASDAQ:WABC)

Two Sigma Investments LP trimmed its position in shares of Westamerica Bancorporation (NASDAQ:WABC - Free Report) by 19.1% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 47,980 shares of the financial services provider's stock after selling 11,338 shares during the period. Two Sigma Investments LP owned about 0.18% of Westamerica Bancorporation worth $2,517,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Sterling Capital Management LLC lifted 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 buying an additional 734 shares during the last quarter. Golden State Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Westamerica Bancorporation in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $65,000. KBC Group NV lifted its stake in Westamerica Bancorporation by 71.4% in the fourth quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 1,974 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $104,000 after acquiring an additional 822 shares during the last quarter. Two Sigma Securities LLC acquired a new stake in Westamerica Bancorporation in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $201,000. Finally, Gallacher Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in Westamerica Bancorporation in the fourth quarter worth approximately $205,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 81.89% of the company's stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Westamerica Bancorporation news, SVP Robert James Baker, Jr. sold 710 shares of Westamerica Bancorporation 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 transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, SVP John A. Thorson sold 2,243 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, April 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $48.57, for a total transaction of $108,942.51. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 11,591 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $562,974.87. This represents a 16.21% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 5.30% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Westamerica Bancorporation Stock Performance

WABC traded down $0.50 during midday trading on Monday, reaching $47.55. The company's stock had a trading volume of 112,973 shares, compared to its average volume of 136,830. The company has a current ratio of 0.27, a quick ratio of 0.26 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.15. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $48.10 and a 200 day simple moving average of $50.98. The stock has a market cap of $1.24 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.14 and a beta of 0.64. Westamerica Bancorporation has a twelve month low of $42.00 and a twelve month high of $59.97.

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

Westamerica Bancorporation Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 16th. Investors of record on Monday, May 5th were paid a $0.46 dividend. This represents a $1.84 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.87%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, May 5th. This is a boost from Westamerica Bancorporation's previous quarterly dividend of $0.44. Westamerica Bancorporation's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 36.87%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Piper Sandler reduced their price objective on shares of Westamerica Bancorporation from $54.00 to $50.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Monday, April 21st. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reduced their price target 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. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised Westamerica Bancorporation from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, May 13th.

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.