Heritage Financial (NASDAQ:HFWA) Price Target Raised to $32.00

Heritage Financial (NASDAQ:HFWA) had its target price upped by DA Davidson from $29.00 to $32.00 in a report released on Friday morning, MarketBeat Ratings reports. DA Davidson currently has a buy rating on the financial services provider’s stock.

Several other equities analysts have also issued reports on HFWA. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Heritage Financial in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. Zacks Research cut shares of Heritage Financial from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 25th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Heritage Financial from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, November 15th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods increased their target price on shares of Heritage Financial from $26.00 to $28.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research report on Monday, September 29th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $30.33.

Heritage Financial Stock Down 5.5%

Heritage Financial stock opened at $26.58 on Friday. The business has a fifty day moving average of $24.42 and a two-hundred day moving average of $23.95. The company has a quick ratio of 0.84, a current ratio of 0.83 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.05. The firm has a market cap of $902.66 million, a P/E ratio of 13.56 and a beta of 0.52. Heritage Financial has a twelve month low of $19.84 and a twelve month high of $28.35.

Heritage Financial (NASDAQ:HFWA) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 22nd. The financial services provider reported $0.66 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.57 by $0.09. The business had revenue of $66.35 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $65.95 million. Heritage Financial had a return on equity of 8.61% and a net margin of 20.10%. On average, analysts forecast that Heritage Financial will post 2.09 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Heritage Financial Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, February 11th. Investors of record on Wednesday, January 28th will be given a $0.24 dividend. This represents a $0.96 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, January 28th. Heritage Financial’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 48.98%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, President Bryan Mcdonald purchased 19,106 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, November 20th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $22.32 per share, for a total transaction of $426,445.92. Following the purchase, the president owned 31,363 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $700,022.16. This trade represents a 155.88% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. 1.90% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Heritage Financial

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Hantz Financial Services Inc. raised its stake in Heritage Financial by 316.9% in the 3rd quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 1,651 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $40,000 after acquiring an additional 1,255 shares during the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Heritage Financial by 27,871.4% in the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,958 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $47,000 after purchasing an additional 1,951 shares during the period. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC increased its holdings in shares of Heritage Financial by 99.1% in the second quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 2,875 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $69,000 after purchasing an additional 1,431 shares during the period. GAMMA Investing LLC raised its stake in shares of Heritage Financial by 53.3% in the second quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 4,557 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $109,000 after purchasing an additional 1,585 shares during the last quarter. Finally, CWM LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Heritage Financial by 100.5% during the third quarter. CWM LLC now owns 7,657 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $185,000 after purchasing an additional 3,838 shares during the period. 78.30% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Stories Impacting Heritage Financial

Here are the key news stories impacting Heritage Financial this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 results topped expectations: Heritage reported $0.66 EPS (vs. $0.57 consensus) and revenue modestly beat, with improved ROA and net margin — a fundamental beat that supports earnings momentum. PR Newswire: Q4 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrade: DA Davidson raised its price target to $32 and assigned a “buy” rating, implying ~20% upside from current levels — a bullish signal from a large regional-bank analyst. The Fly: Price Target Raised
• Positive Sentiment: Merger synergy potential: Management outlined near-4% margin improvement potential from integrating Olympic, which, if realized, could materially lift profitability over time. Seeking Alpha: Margin Improvement
• Neutral Sentiment: Full disclosure available: The earnings call transcript, slide deck and detailed Q4 presentation are published for deeper review of guidance, loan/deposit trends and expense assumptions. Use these to vet the merger and margin assumptions. Seeking Alpha: Earnings Transcript
• Neutral Sentiment: Market coverage: Multiple outlets highlight the “strong quarter and acquisition prep” narrative; useful for context but not new company-specific data. TipRanks: Strong Quarter & Acquisition
• Negative Sentiment: Shareholder-approved stock issuance for the merger raises near-term dilution concerns — investors may be weighing dilution vs. long-term synergies, pressuring the share price. TipRanks: Shareholder Approval
• Negative Sentiment: Market reaction and volume: Despite beats and an analyst upgrade, shares are trading lower on elevated volume — likely a mix of profit-taking after recent gains, merger/dilution uncertainty, and short-term positioning. Benzinga: Market Note

Heritage Financial Company Profile

Heritage Financial Corporation (NASDAQ:HFWA) is a bank holding company headquartered in Spokane, Washington. Through its primary subsidiary, Heritage Bank, the company provides a comprehensive range of banking and financial services to both individual and commercial clients. Heritage Bank’s offerings encompass deposit products, lending solutions, treasury and cash management services, mortgage banking, and wealth management, positioning the organization as a full-service community bank.

The company’s lending portfolio includes commercial real estate loans, agricultural loans, small business administration (SBA) loans, construction and development financing, and a variety of consumer mortgage products.