Westwood Holdings Group (NYSE:WHG) Share Price Crosses Below 200-Day Moving Average - What's Next?

Key Points

• Westwood Holdings Group's shares have recently crossed below its 200-day moving average, trading as low as $16.24 compared to the average of $16.42.
• Analysts have upgraded the stock from a "hold" to a "buy" rating, with a consensus rating of "Buy" based on recent reports from various brokerages.
• The company announced a quarterly dividend of $0.15, which represents an annualized dividend yield of 3.7%, despite a high payout ratio of 142.86%.

Shares of Westwood Holdings Group Inc (NYSE:WHG - Get Free Report) crossed below its two hundred day moving average during trading on Tuesday . The stock has a two hundred day moving average of $16.42 and traded as low as $16.24. Westwood Holdings Group shares last traded at $16.35, with a volume of 5,700 shares changing hands.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages recently issued reports on WHG. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Westwood Holdings Group from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Saturday, August 16th. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Westwood Holdings Group from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, According to MarketBeat, Westwood Holdings Group has a consensus rating of "Buy".

Westwood Holdings Group Trading Down 0.2%

The firm's 50 day moving average is $17.29 and its two-hundred day moving average is $16.42. The firm has a market cap of $153.81 million, a P/E ratio of 38.92 and a beta of 0.98.

Westwood Holdings Group (NYSE:WHG - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Friday, August 8th. The asset manager reported $0.22 earnings per share for the quarter. The business had revenue of $23.12 million for the quarter. Westwood Holdings Group had a net margin of 3.92% and a return on equity of 5.19%.

Westwood Holdings Group Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, October 1st. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, September 2nd were issued a $0.15 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, September 2nd. This represents a $0.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.7%. Westwood Holdings Group's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 142.86%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CEO Brian O. Casey sold 6,750 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Friday, August 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $18.00, for a total transaction of $121,500.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 505,926 shares in the company, valued at approximately $9,106,668. The trade was a 1.32% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Insiders own 8.20% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Westwood Holdings Group

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. bought a new position in Westwood Holdings Group during the first quarter worth $213,000. North Star Investment Management Corp. boosted its position in Westwood Holdings Group by 1.5% during the second quarter. North Star Investment Management Corp. now owns 367,460 shares of the asset manager's stock worth $5,732,000 after purchasing an additional 5,446 shares during the period. Gamco Investors INC. ET AL boosted its position in shares of Westwood Holdings Group by 1.5% in the first quarter. Gamco Investors INC. ET AL now owns 453,180 shares of the asset manager's stock valued at $7,342,000 after acquiring an additional 6,480 shares during the period. Garner Asset Management Corp boosted its position in shares of Westwood Holdings Group by 4.0% in the first quarter. Garner Asset Management Corp now owns 146,408 shares of the asset manager's stock valued at $2,372,000 after acquiring an additional 5,655 shares during the period. Finally, Bank of America Corp DE boosted its position in shares of Westwood Holdings Group by 3.8% in the second quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 62,650 shares of the asset manager's stock valued at $977,000 after acquiring an additional 2,297 shares during the period. 56.64% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

About Westwood Holdings Group

Westwood Holdings Group, Inc, through its subsidiaries, manages investment assets and provides services for its clients. The company operates in two segments, Advisory and Trust. The Advisory segment provides investment advisory services to corporate retirement plans, public retirement plans, endowments, foundations, individuals, and the Westwood Funds; and investment sub-advisory services to mutual funds, pooled investment vehicles, and its Trust segment.

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