Westwood Holdings Group (NYSE:WHG) Stock Rating Upgraded by Weiss Ratings

Key Points

• Westwood Holdings Group's stock rating was upgraded from "hold (c+)" to "buy (b-)" by Weiss Ratings, and from "hold" to "buy" by Wall Street Zen, reflecting growing analyst confidence.
• The company's shares are currently trading at $16.64, with a market capitalization of $156.58 million and a PE ratio of 39.62.
• Insider trading activity included CEO Brian O. Casey selling 6,750 shares for $121,500, and institutional investors now own 56.64% of the stock.

Westwood Holdings Group (NYSE:WHG - Get Free Report) was upgraded by Weiss Ratings from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a research note issued on Wednesday,Weiss Ratings reports.

Separately, Wall Street Zen upgraded Westwood Holdings Group from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Saturday, August 16th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Buy".

Westwood Holdings Group Trading Up 0.4%

Shares of WHG stock traded up $0.07 on Wednesday, hitting $16.64. 845 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 22,464. The firm has a market capitalization of $156.58 million, a PE ratio of 39.62 and a beta of 0.98. Westwood Holdings Group has a one year low of $13.49 and a one year high of $18.97. The firm's 50 day moving average is $17.38 and its two-hundred day moving average is $16.41.

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

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Westwood Holdings Group news, CEO Brian O. Casey sold 6,750 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $18.00, for a total transaction of $121,500.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 505,926 shares in the company, valued at $9,106,668. This trade represents a 1.32% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. 8.20% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Westwood Holdings Group

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of WHG. Millennium Management LLC purchased a new position in Westwood Holdings Group during the 4th quarter worth $146,000. Garner Asset Management Corp raised its holdings in Westwood Holdings Group by 4.0% in the 1st quarter. Garner Asset Management Corp now owns 146,408 shares of the asset manager's stock worth $2,372,000 after purchasing an additional 5,655 shares during the period. Gamco Investors INC. ET AL increased its stake in Westwood Holdings Group by 1.5% during the 1st quarter. Gamco Investors INC. ET AL now owns 453,180 shares of the asset manager's stock worth $7,342,000 after buying an additional 6,480 shares in the last quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. purchased a new stake in Westwood Holdings Group during the 1st quarter worth approximately $213,000. Finally, Empowered Funds LLC grew its position in shares of Westwood Holdings Group by 8.7% in the first quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 28,751 shares of the asset manager's stock valued at $466,000 after purchasing an additional 2,291 shares in the last quarter. 56.64% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Westwood Holdings Group Company Profile

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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