Willdan Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:WLDN) Shares Acquired by Victory Capital Management Inc.

Key Points

• Victory Capital Management Inc. increased its stake in Willdan Group, Inc. by 21.4%, acquiring an additional 6,399 shares to total 36,249 shares worth approximately $1,476,000.
• Other institutional investors also significantly increased their positions in Willdan Group, with Tower Research Capital raising its stake by 470.2% and GAMMA Investing LLC by 1,809.7%.
• Insider sales were reported, with the CFO selling 5,000 shares and the CEO selling 25,000 shares, resulting in a substantial decrease in their ownership of the company's stock.

Victory Capital Management Inc. increased its stake in shares of Willdan Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:WLDN - Free Report) by 21.4% during the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 36,249 shares of the construction company's stock after purchasing an additional 6,399 shares during the period. Victory Capital Management Inc. owned 0.25% of Willdan Group worth $1,476,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC raised its holdings in shares of Willdan Group by 77.3% in the 1st quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 158,401 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $6,468,000 after acquiring an additional 69,047 shares in the last quarter. Nuveen Asset Management LLC grew its position in shares of Willdan Group by 136.0% in the 4th quarter. Nuveen Asset Management LLC now owns 208,059 shares of the construction company's stock worth $7,925,000 after buying an additional 119,888 shares during the last quarter. Deutsche Bank AG boosted its position in shares of Willdan Group by 358.0% during the fourth quarter. Deutsche Bank AG now owns 34,935 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $1,331,000 after purchasing an additional 27,308 shares in the last quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. boosted its holdings in Willdan Group by 3.9% in the first quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 8,526 shares of the construction company's stock worth $347,000 after acquiring an additional 319 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Ameriprise Financial Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Willdan Group by 47.0% during the fourth quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 91,269 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $3,476,000 after purchasing an additional 29,169 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 72.29% of the company's stock.

Willdan Group Trading Down 1.5%

WLDN traded down $1.30 during trading on Friday, hitting $84.00. 622,363 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 181,850. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $66.17 and a 200 day simple moving average of $48.19. The firm has a market cap of $1.22 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 49.70 and a beta of 1.25. Willdan Group, Inc. has a 1 year low of $30.43 and a 1 year high of $86.25. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35, a quick ratio of 1.61 and a current ratio of 1.61.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Separately, Wedbush restated an "outperform" rating on shares of Willdan Group in a research report on Thursday, July 10th.

Insider Transactions at Willdan Group

In related news, CEO Michael A. Bieber sold 25,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $48.11, for a total value of $1,202,750.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 200,981 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $9,669,195.91. This represents a 11.06% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, VP Micah Chen sold 10,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $50.50, for a total value of $505,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president directly owned 38,502 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,944,351. The trade was a 20.62% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders sold 100,000 shares of company stock worth $4,994,075. 8.60% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Willdan Group Profile

Willdan Group, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, provides professional, technical, and consulting services primarily in the United States. It operates in two segments, Energy, and Engineering and Consulting. The Energy segment offers comprehensive audit and surveys, program design and implementation, master planning, demand reduction, grid optimization, benchmarking analyses, design engineering, construction management, performance contracting, installation, alternative financing, measurement and verification services, and software and data analytics, as well as energy consulting and engineering, turnkey facility and infrastructure projects, and customer support services.