Finward Bancorp (NASDAQ:FNWD) Posts Earnings Results, Misses Expectations By $0.14 EPS

Key Points

• Finward Bancorp reported quarterly EPS of $0.48, missing the consensus estimate of $0.62 by $0.14. The company posted a 9.72% net margin and 5.92% return on equity.
• Shares rose $0.14 to $44.38 in mid-day trading, near the 12-month high of $45.00. The stock’s consensus analyst rating is “Moderate Buy,” with a $41.00 target price.
• The company paid a quarterly dividend of $0.12 per share, equivalent to $0.48 annually and a 1.1% yield. Institutional investors own 26.59% of Finward Bancorp.

Finward Bancorp (NASDAQ:FNWD - Get Free Report) posted its earnings results on Tuesday. The company reported $0.48 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.62 by ($0.14), Zacks reports. Finward Bancorp had a net margin of 9.72% and a return on equity of 5.92%.

Finward Bancorp Stock Performance

Finward Bancorp stock traded up $0.14 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, reaching $44.38. 14,558 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 15,396. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29, a quick ratio of 0.87 and a current ratio of 0.87. The firm's 50-day simple moving average is $35.25 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $35.49. Finward Bancorp has a twelve month low of $27.11 and a twelve month high of $45.00. The firm has a market cap of $192.17 million, a PE ratio of 19.38 and a beta of 0.18.

Finward Bancorp Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 29th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, June 17th were given a dividend of $0.12 per share. This represents a $0.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, June 17th. Finward Bancorp's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 20.96%.

Institutional Trading of Finward Bancorp

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP lifted its position in Finward Bancorp by 6.6% in the fourth quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 22,869 shares of the company's stock valued at $805,000 after purchasing an additional 1,411 shares during the period. AQR Capital Management LLC increased its position in Finward Bancorp by 40.4% during the 4th quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 15,353 shares of the company's stock worth $540,000 after purchasing an additional 4,420 shares during the period. Trexquant Investment LP acquired a new position in Finward Bancorp during the 4th quarter worth approximately $360,000. Marshall Wace LLP purchased a new position in shares of Finward Bancorp during the 4th quarter worth approximately $280,000. Finally, Barclays PLC raised its stake in shares of Finward Bancorp by 11.1% during the 4th quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 5,403 shares of the company's stock worth $190,000 after buying an additional 541 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 26.59% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts recently issued reports on FNWD shares. Weiss Ratings upgraded Finward Bancorp from a "hold (c)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a research note on Friday, June 26th. Zacks Research upgraded Finward Bancorp to a "hold" rating in a research note on Monday, July 13th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $41.00.

About Finward Bancorp

Finward Bancorp NASDAQ: FNWD is the bank holding company for Finward Bank, a community-focused financial institution serving businesses and individuals across Pennsylvania and Delaware. Through a network of full-service branches and a robust digital banking platform, Finward Bank delivers a range of personal and commercial banking solutions designed to meet the needs of local customers.

The company's core offerings include deposit products such as checking accounts, savings accounts and time deposits, as well as a variety of lending solutions.

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