What is Zacks Research's Estimate for WaFd FY2026 Earnings?

Key Points

• Zacks Research raised its FY2026 earnings estimate for WaFd to $3.21 per share from $3.03, while the current consensus estimate is $3.27 per share.
• The firm also reiterated a Strong-Buy rating, adding to generally positive analyst sentiment around WaFd; MarketBeat shows a consensus rating of Moderate Buy with a $34.80 target price.
• WaFd recently posted better-than-expected quarterly results, reporting $0.83 EPS versus $0.74 expected and revenue of $197.66 million versus $190.51 million expected.

WaFd, Inc. (NASDAQ:WAFD - Free Report) - Analysts at Zacks Research raised their FY2026 earnings estimates for WaFd in a research note issued to investors on Thursday, May 7th. Zacks Research analyst Team now expects that the bank will earn $3.21 per share for the year, up from their prior estimate of $3.03. Zacks Research currently has a "Strong-Buy" rating on the stock. The consensus estimate for WaFd's current full-year earnings is $3.27 per share.

Other equities research analysts have also recently issued reports about the stock. Wall Street Zen raised shares of WaFd from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Sunday, February 8th. Piper Sandler boosted their price target on shares of WaFd from $30.50 to $36.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Monday, April 20th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods boosted their price target on shares of WaFd from $35.00 to $38.00 and gave the stock a "market perform" rating in a research note on Monday, April 20th. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $34.00 price target on shares of WaFd in a research note on Tuesday, January 20th. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of WaFd from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a research note on Friday, April 17th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, one has issued a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, WaFd presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $34.80.

WaFd Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:WAFD opened at $35.55 on Monday. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $32.61 and a 200-day simple moving average of $32.18. WaFd has a one year low of $26.31 and a one year high of $36.10. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.14, a quick ratio of 0.97 and a current ratio of 0.97. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.63 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.62 and a beta of 0.85.

WaFd (NASDAQ:WAFD - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Friday, April 17th. The bank reported $0.83 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.74 by $0.09. WaFd had a net margin of 18.25% and a return on equity of 8.94%. The business had revenue of $197.66 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $190.51 million. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $0.17 earnings per share.

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Kim E. Robison sold 22,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Friday, April 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $35.28, for a total transaction of $776,160.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 116,099 shares in the company, valued at $4,095,972.72. The trade was a 15.93% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. 1.49% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Assetmark Inc. grew its position in WaFd by 3,620.0% during the first quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 930 shares of the bank's stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 905 shares during the period. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. grew its position in WaFd by 42.8% during the second quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 1,174 shares of the bank's stock worth $34,000 after buying an additional 352 shares during the period. McIlrath & Eck LLC grew its position in WaFd by 57.6% during the second quarter. McIlrath & Eck LLC now owns 1,327 shares of the bank's stock worth $39,000 after buying an additional 485 shares during the period. Hantz Financial Services Inc. grew its position in WaFd by 604.5% during the third quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 1,423 shares of the bank's stock worth $43,000 after buying an additional 1,221 shares during the period. Finally, Danske Bank A S acquired a new position in WaFd during the third quarter worth about $51,000. 83.71% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Headlines Impacting WaFd

Here are the key news stories impacting WaFd this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research increased its earnings forecasts for WaFd across several periods, including Q3 2026, Q4 2026, Q1 2027, Q2 2027, Q3 2027, Q4 2027, and FY2027, pointing to better expected profitability. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: The research firm reiterated a Strong-Buy rating, reinforcing bullish sentiment around WaFd, Inc. NASDAQ: WAFD. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: A separate Zacks note highlighted WaFd as a potential dividend stock, which may appeal to income-focused investors but does not appear to be a major new catalyst on its own. Article Title

WaFd Company Profile

Washington Federal, Inc, doing business as WaFd Bank, is a publicly traded bank holding company headquartered in Seattle, Washington. Through its subsidiary, WaFd Bank, the company provides a range of banking and financial services to individuals, small-to-medium enterprises, and commercial clients. Established in 1917 as Ballard Savings & Loan in Seattle, the institution expanded over decades to serve customers across the Western United States under the Washington Federal name and has operated as a public company since the early 1980s.

WaFd Bank's core offerings encompass deposit accounts such as checking, savings, money market, and certificates of deposit, alongside consumer and commercial lending products.

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