Westwood Holdings Group (NYSE:WHG) Stock Price Crosses Above 200 Day Moving Average - Should You Sell?

Key Points

• Westwood Holdings Group's stock has crossed above its 200-day moving average of $16.00, trading as high as $18.08 before closing at $17.70.
• Wall Street analysts recently downgraded the stock from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating, reflecting a cautious outlook.
• The company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.15 per share with a dividend yield of 3.4%, despite a high payout ratio of 142.86%.

Westwood Holdings Group Inc (NYSE:WHG - Get Free Report)'s stock price passed above its two hundred day moving average during trading on Thursday . The stock has a two hundred day moving average of $16.00 and traded as high as $18.08. Westwood Holdings Group shares last traded at $17.70, with a volume of 11,893 shares traded.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Separately, Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Westwood Holdings Group from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Saturday.

Westwood Holdings Group Stock Up 1.7%

The firm's 50-day moving average is $16.61 and its 200-day moving average is $16.02. The company has a market capitalization of $169.10 million, a PE ratio of 42.79 and a beta of 0.97.

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

Westwood Holdings Group Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, October 1st. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, September 2nd will be given a dividend of $0.15 per share. This represents a $0.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.3%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, September 2nd. Westwood Holdings Group's dividend payout ratio is presently 142.86%.

Institutional Trading of Westwood Holdings Group

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Bank of America Corp DE boosted its position in Westwood Holdings Group by 1.0% during the fourth quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 60,875 shares of the asset manager's stock valued at $883,000 after buying an additional 616 shares during the period. Barclays PLC boosted its position in Westwood Holdings Group by 180.7% during the fourth quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 3,054 shares of the asset manager's stock valued at $44,000 after buying an additional 1,966 shares during the period. Empowered Funds LLC boosted its position in Westwood Holdings Group by 8.7% during the first quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 28,751 shares of the asset manager's stock valued at $466,000 after buying an additional 2,291 shares during the period. Bridgeway Capital Management LLC boosted its position in Westwood Holdings Group by 2.9% during the second quarter. Bridgeway Capital Management LLC now owns 86,620 shares of the asset manager's stock valued at $1,351,000 after buying an additional 2,417 shares during the period. Finally, MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. purchased a new stake in Westwood Holdings Group during the second quarter valued at about $63,000. 56.64% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other 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.