First Western Financial (NASDAQ:MYFW) Upgraded at Zacks Research

Key Points

• First Western Financial (NASDAQ:MYFW) was upgraded from a "strong sell" to a "hold" rating by Zacks Research, signaling a potential improvement in investor sentiment.
• Shares of First Western Financial gained 1.4% on Monday, with a current stock price of $23.02 and a market capitalization of approximately $223.75 million.
• CEO Scott C. Wylie sold 5,000 shares of the company at an average price of $23.59, reflecting a 0.66% decrease in his ownership stake.

First Western Financial (NASDAQ:MYFW - Get Free Report) was upgraded by investment analysts at Zacks Research from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note issued to investors on Monday,Zacks.com reports.

Separately, Wall Street Zen raised shares of First Western Financial from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Monday. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, First Western Financial has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $24.33.

First Western Financial Stock Up 1.4%

Shares of First Western Financial stock opened at $23.02 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.80, a quick ratio of 1.10 and a current ratio of 1.11. The stock has a market capitalization of $223.75 million, a PE ratio of 19.34 and a beta of 0.87. First Western Financial has a 52-week low of $17.10 and a 52-week high of $24.88. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $22.51 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $21.51.

First Western Financial (NASDAQ:MYFW - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, July 24th. The company reported $0.26 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.39 by ($0.13). The firm had revenue of $22.42 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $25.28 million. First Western Financial had a return on equity of 4.55% and a net margin of 6.50%. On average, analysts anticipate that First Western Financial will post 1.5 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at First Western Financial

In other news, CEO Scott C. Wylie sold 5,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, September 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $23.59, for a total transaction of $117,950.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 757,164 shares of the company's stock, valued at $17,861,498.76. The trade was a 0.66% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 17.90% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Boothbay Fund Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of First Western Financial by 5.5% during the second quarter. Boothbay Fund Management LLC now owns 98,717 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,227,000 after purchasing an additional 5,165 shares during the last quarter. Bridgeway Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in First Western Financial by 2.9% during the second quarter. Bridgeway Capital Management LLC now owns 82,533 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,862,000 after buying an additional 2,288 shares during the last quarter. Mendon Capital Advisors Corp increased its holdings in First Western Financial by 9.1% during the second quarter. Mendon Capital Advisors Corp now owns 280,524 shares of the company's stock valued at $6,329,000 after buying an additional 23,317 shares during the last quarter. Jane Street Group LLC purchased a new stake in First Western Financial during the second quarter valued at approximately $245,000. Finally, Marshall Wace LLP purchased a new stake in First Western Financial during the second quarter valued at approximately $2,194,000. 60.26% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About First Western Financial

First Western Financial, Inc, a financial holding company, provides wealth advisory, private baking, personal trust, investment management, mortgage lending, and institutional asset management services. The company operates through two segments: Wealth Management and Mortgage. The Wealth Management segment provides deposit, loan, life insurance, and trust and investment management advisory products and services.

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