Western New England Bancorp (NASDAQ:WNEB) Given Average Rating of "Buy" by Analysts

Key Points

• Analyst consensus: Four brokerages rate Western New England Bancorp an average of "Buy" (1 hold, 2 buy, 1 strong buy) with a 1‑year average price target of $15.00.
• Insider and institutional holdings: Director Philip R. Smith sold 3,000 shares at $13.17 (reducing his stake by 28.58%); insiders own 6.56% of the stock while institutions and hedge funds own 67.95%.
• Recent results and dividend: The company reported quarterly EPS of $0.24 (vs. $0.21 estimate) and declared a $0.07 quarterly dividend (annualized $0.28, ~2.0% yield; DPR 36.84%).

Western New England Bancorp (NASDAQ:WNEB - Get Free Report) has received an average rating of "Buy" from the four brokerages that are covering the stock, MarketBeat reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, two have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. The average 1-year price objective among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $15.00.

Several brokerages recently commented on WNEB. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Western New England Bancorp from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Thursday, January 29th. Hovde Group upgraded shares of Western New England Bancorp to a "hold" rating in a report on Thursday, April 2nd. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Western New England Bancorp from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a report on Thursday, March 12th. Seaport Research Partners reiterated a "buy" rating on shares of Western New England Bancorp in a report on Wednesday. Finally, Piper Sandler reiterated an "overweight" rating and issued a $15.00 target price on shares of Western New England Bancorp in a report on Wednesday.

Insider Transactions at Western New England Bancorp

In other Western New England Bancorp news, Director Philip R. Smith sold 3,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Friday, February 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $13.17, for a total value of $39,510.00. Following the sale, the director directly owned 7,497 shares in the company, valued at $98,735.49. This trade represents a 28.58% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. 6.56% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of Western New England Bancorp

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Sound Income Strategies LLC acquired a new stake in Western New England Bancorp in the 1st quarter worth $40,000. Invesco Ltd. grew its position in Western New England Bancorp by 15.9% in the 4th quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 24,223 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $306,000 after purchasing an additional 3,328 shares during the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC grew its position in Western New England Bancorp by 2.0% in the 4th quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 112,500 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $1,420,000 after purchasing an additional 2,171 shares during the last quarter. Elizabeth Park Capital Advisors Ltd. grew its position in Western New England Bancorp by 10.1% in the 4th quarter. Elizabeth Park Capital Advisors Ltd. now owns 145,962 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $1,842,000 after purchasing an additional 13,396 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Bridgeway Capital Management LLC grew its position in Western New England Bancorp by 1.0% in the 4th quarter. Bridgeway Capital Management LLC now owns 223,641 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $2,822,000 after purchasing an additional 2,171 shares during the last quarter. 67.95% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Western New England Bancorp Stock Down 1.6%

Shares of Western New England Bancorp stock traded down $0.22 during midday trading on Wednesday, reaching $13.96. 23,116 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 63,843. The company has a market cap of $282.82 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.37 and a beta of 0.76. Western New England Bancorp has a 52 week low of $8.52 and a 52 week high of $14.52. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.37, a quick ratio of 0.93 and a current ratio of 0.93. The company's 50 day simple moving average is $13.22 and its 200 day simple moving average is $12.78.

Western New England Bancorp (NASDAQ:WNEB - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The financial services provider reported $0.24 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.21 by $0.03. The firm had revenue of $21.82 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $21.91 million. Western New England Bancorp had a net margin of 11.64% and a return on equity of 6.31%. Equities analysts expect that Western New England Bancorp will post 0.95 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Western New England Bancorp Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, May 27th. Investors of record on Wednesday, May 13th will be issued a $0.07 dividend. This represents a $0.28 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.0%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, May 13th. Western New England Bancorp's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 36.84%.

About Western New England Bancorp

Western New England Bancorp is a bank holding company headquartered in Westfield, Massachusetts. Through its wholly owned subsidiary, Westfield Bank, the company provides a full suite of commercial and consumer banking services. Its operations focus on serving small to mid-sized businesses, professional practices, and individual customers, with a strategy centered on relationship-driven banking and community involvement.

The company's core offerings include deposit products such as checking, savings and money market accounts, along with business cash-management solutions.

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