Western Alliance Bancorporation $WAL Holdings Raised by Natixis Advisors LLC

Key Points

• Natixis Advisors LLC increased its stake in Western Alliance by 11.1% to 315,052 shares (~$27.3M), representing about 0.29% of the company, while institutional investors own roughly 79.15% of the stock.
• Analyst actions are mixed — Wells Fargo upgraded WAL to "equal weight" while TD Cowen downgraded to "hold" and several firms trimmed targets — and a public letter from Jefferies disputing Western Alliance’s disclosures about loans to First Brands is a significant negative catalyst that raises asset-quality and reputational concerns.
• Western Alliance posted an EPS beat ($2.59 vs. $2.40) with revenue up 17% year-over-year though slightly under estimates, pays a $0.42 quarterly dividend (2.3% yield), and trades at about a 8.27 P/E with a market cap near $7.93B.

Natixis Advisors LLC increased its stake in Western Alliance Bancorporation (NYSE:WAL - Free Report) by 11.1% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 315,052 shares of the financial services provider's stock after purchasing an additional 31,396 shares during the quarter. Natixis Advisors LLC owned about 0.29% of Western Alliance Bancorporation worth $27,321,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Halbert Hargrove Global Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Western Alliance Bancorporation during the third quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Quent Capital LLC acquired a new stake in Western Alliance Bancorporation in the third quarter worth approximately $26,000. Salomon & Ludwin LLC acquired a new stake in Western Alliance Bancorporation in the third quarter worth approximately $27,000. Root Financial Partners LLC bought a new position in Western Alliance Bancorporation during the 3rd quarter valued at $27,000. Finally, Smartleaf Asset Management LLC boosted its stake in Western Alliance Bancorporation by 113.0% during the 3rd quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 443 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $39,000 after purchasing an additional 235 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 79.15% of the company's stock.

Trending Headlines about Western Alliance Bancorporation

Here are the key news stories impacting Western Alliance Bancorporation this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Wells Fargo upgraded WAL from "underweight" to "equal weight," which reduces short-term selling pressure compared with a downgrade; the firm set a $79 target (lower than before). Wells Fargo upgrade article
• Neutral Sentiment: Citigroup trimmed its price target from $107 to $103 but kept a "buy" rating, signaling continued fundamental confidence despite reduced upside. Citigroup price target cut
• Neutral Sentiment: DA Davidson lowered its target from $105 to $93 and maintained a "buy" rating — another sign analysts still see upside but are revising expectations downward. DA Davidson price target cut
• Negative Sentiment: TD Cowen downgraded WAL from "buy" to "hold" and set an $83 target, removing a prior bullish endorsement and likely contributing to selling. TD Cowen downgrade article
• Negative Sentiment: Jefferies published a public letter disputing Western Alliance’s statements and outlining facts about loans to First Brands, escalating a legal/credit dispute that increases uncertainty around asset quality and reputational risk. This release is probably the largest single negative catalyst for investor concern today. Jefferies disclosure

Western Alliance Bancorporation Price Performance

NYSE WAL opened at $72.18 on Wednesday. Western Alliance Bancorporation has a 1 year low of $57.05 and a 1 year high of $97.23. The business's fifty day moving average is $88.10 and its two-hundred day moving average is $85.13. The stock has a market capitalization of $7.93 billion, a P/E ratio of 8.27, a P/E/G ratio of 0.63 and a beta of 1.34. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.83, a quick ratio of 0.80 and a current ratio of 0.85.

Western Alliance Bancorporation (NYSE:WAL - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, January 27th. The financial services provider reported $2.59 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.40 by $0.19. The business had revenue of $890.80 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $912.69 million. Western Alliance Bancorporation had a return on equity of 13.33% and a net margin of 18.04%.The company's revenue was up 17.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company posted $1.95 EPS. On average, research analysts forecast that Western Alliance Bancorporation will post 9.05 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Western Alliance Bancorporation Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 6th. Investors of record on Friday, February 20th were given a $0.42 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 20th. This represents a $1.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.3%. Western Alliance Bancorporation's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 19.24%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have recently commented on WAL shares. Citigroup dropped their price objective on Western Alliance Bancorporation from $107.00 to $103.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday. TD Cowen cut Western Alliance Bancorporation from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating and set a $83.00 target price for the company. in a research note on Monday. Wells Fargo & Company raised Western Alliance Bancorporation from an "underweight" rating to an "equal weight" rating and lowered their target price for the stock from $83.00 to $79.00 in a report on Monday. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods boosted their price target on shares of Western Alliance Bancorporation from $98.00 to $101.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 28th. Finally, National Alliance Securities reissued a "buy" rating on shares of Western Alliance Bancorporation in a report on Friday. Twelve research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Western Alliance Bancorporation presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $99.40.

Western Alliance Bancorporation Profile

Western Alliance Bancorporation is a bank holding company headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona. Through its principal subsidiary, Western Alliance Bank, the company provides a range of banking services to commercial clients, entrepreneurs and real estate developers. As one of the largest regional banks in the western United States, it focuses on relationship-driven banking solutions tailored to niche industries and growing businesses.

The company's core offerings include deposit products, treasury management and a variety of lending services.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.