Douglas Gordon Sells 18,716 Shares of Waterstone Financial (NASDAQ:WSBF) Stock

Waterstone Financial, Inc. (NASDAQ:WSBF) Director Douglas Gordon sold 18,716 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $18.25, for a total transaction of $341,567.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 566,418 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $10,337,128.50. The trade was a 3.20% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink.

Waterstone Financial Stock Performance

NASDAQ:WSBF opened at $18.05 on Friday. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $17.07 and its 200-day moving average is $15.64. Waterstone Financial, Inc. has a 52 week low of $11.61 and a 52 week high of $18.88. The firm has a market cap of $333.15 million, a P/E ratio of 13.57 and a beta of 0.81.

Waterstone Financial (NASDAQ:WSBF) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, January 28th. The savings and loans company reported $0.44 earnings per share for the quarter. The business had revenue of $37.17 million during the quarter. Waterstone Financial had a net margin of 12.08% and a return on equity of 6.99%.

Waterstone Financial Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, February 2nd. Stockholders of record on Thursday, January 8th were paid a $0.15 dividend. This represents a $0.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, January 8th. Waterstone Financial’s payout ratio is currently 45.11%.

Key Waterstone Financial News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Company paid its quarterly dividend ($0.15; $0.60 annualized, ~3.2–3.3% yield) on Feb. 2, supporting income-oriented holders. MarketBeat WSBF
• Positive Sentiment: Latest quarterly results (announced Jan. 28) show $0.44 EPS and $37.17M revenue with a net margin ~12% — evidence of profitable operations that can undercut panic selling. MarketBeat WSBF
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst coverage is mixed: Weiss Ratings recently reiterated a buy, while others have trimmed to hold — consensus leans modestly positive but not unanimous. Analyst Notes
• Neutral Sentiment: Institutional investors own ~62.7% of shares, which can stabilize trading even when insiders sell significant blocks. Institutional Holdings
• Negative Sentiment: Director Douglas S. Gordon sold 18,716 shares on Feb. 5 at an average $18.25 (SEC filing). The sale reduced his stake by ~3.2%. SEC Filing
• Negative Sentiment: Douglas S. Gordon also sold 15,000 shares on Feb. 4 at ~$18.55, trimming his position further. SEC Filing
• Negative Sentiment: Director Patrick S. Lawton executed multiple sales: 30,000 shares on Feb. 3 at $18.53 and another 19,255 shares reported on Feb. 4 at $18.64 — a large reduction (60.9% cut noted after the 30k sale). SEC Filing
• Negative Sentiment: EVP Julie Ann Glynn sold 20,929 shares on Feb. 2 at ~$18.19, leaving her with a materially smaller holding (reported ~70% reduction). SEC Filing

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

WSBF has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Waterstone Financial in a report on Monday, December 29th. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Waterstone Financial from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Sunday, December 14th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Buy”.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Waterstone Financial

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. CSM Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Waterstone Financial in the 2nd quarter worth $2,725,000. Teton Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Waterstone Financial during the third quarter worth $920,000. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership lifted its stake in shares of Waterstone Financial by 30.5% in the second quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 190,766 shares of the savings and loans company’s stock valued at $2,634,000 after buying an additional 44,618 shares in the last quarter. Fourthstone LLC grew its holdings in shares of Waterstone Financial by 176.7% during the second quarter. Fourthstone LLC now owns 63,194 shares of the savings and loans company’s stock valued at $873,000 after buying an additional 40,357 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Hsbc Holdings PLC grew its holdings in shares of Waterstone Financial by 265.6% during the second quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC now owns 55,028 shares of the savings and loans company’s stock valued at $768,000 after buying an additional 39,978 shares during the last quarter. 62.71% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Waterstone Financial

Waterstone Financial, Inc is a bank holding company based in Glendale, Wisconsin, that provides a broad range of financial services to individuals, businesses and institutions. Its primary operations are conducted through its wholly owned subsidiary, Waterstone Bank, which offers deposit products, loan facilities and treasury management services. The company focuses on delivering relationship-based banking solutions tailored to the needs of small and medium-sized enterprises as well as retail customers.

In addition to traditional commercial and consumer banking, Waterstone Financial supports its clients with specialized financing, including real estate, equipment and asset-based lending.