West Bancorporation (NASDAQ:WTBA) Stock Rating Upgraded by Piper Sandler

Piper Sandler upgraded shares of West Bancorporation (NASDAQ:WTBA - Free Report) to a neutral rating in a report issued on Tuesday, Marketbeat reports. Piper Sandler currently has $21.50 price target on the financial services provider's stock.

West Bancorporation Stock Performance

WTBA traded up $0.42 during trading on Tuesday, reaching $19.92. 12,442 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 29,683. West Bancorporation has a 1 year low of $17.33 and a 1 year high of $24.85. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.65, a current ratio of 0.96 and a quick ratio of 0.96. The stock has a market capitalization of $337.05 million, a P/E ratio of 12.95 and a beta of 0.89. The company's fifty day simple moving average is $19.69 and its 200-day simple moving average is $20.36.

West Bancorporation (NASDAQ:WTBA - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 24th. The financial services provider reported $0.46 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.38 by $0.08. West Bancorporation had a net margin of 13.04% and a return on equity of 11.28%. The company had revenue of $23.10 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $21.61 million. As a group, research analysts predict that West Bancorporation will post 1.65 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

West Bancorporation Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, May 21st. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, May 7th were issued a dividend of $0.25 per share. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.02%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, May 7th. West Bancorporation's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 64.94%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On West Bancorporation

Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Bank of New York Mellon Corp grew its stake in West Bancorporation by 17.0% in the 4th quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 125,049 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $2,707,000 after acquiring an additional 18,154 shares during the period. Proficio Capital Partners LLC acquired a new stake in West Bancorporation in the 4th quarter valued at $785,000. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in West Bancorporation in the 4th quarter valued at $232,000. JPMorgan Chase & Co. grew its stake in West Bancorporation by 121.4% in the 4th quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 57,439 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $1,244,000 after acquiring an additional 31,493 shares during the period. Finally, Trexquant Investment LP acquired a new stake in West Bancorporation in the 4th quarter valued at $356,000. 44.30% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

West Bancorporation Company Profile

West Bancorporation, Inc operates as the financial holding company provides community banking and trust services to individuals and small- to medium-sized businesses in the United States. It offers deposit services, including checking, savings, and money market accounts, as well as time certificates of deposit.