Insider Selling: Waterstone Financial (NASDAQ:WSBF) Director Sells $358,913.20 in Stock

Waterstone Financial, Inc. (NASDAQ:WSBF) Director Patrick Lawton sold 19,255 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $18.64, for a total transaction of $358,913.20. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website.

Waterstone Financial Price Performance

Shares of Waterstone Financial stock opened at $18.05 on Friday. Waterstone Financial, Inc. has a 1 year low of $11.61 and a 1 year high of $18.88. The firm has a market cap of $333.15 million, a PE ratio of 13.57 and a beta of 0.81. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $17.07 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $15.64.

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

Waterstone Financial Dividend Announcement

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

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts recently weighed in on the company. Weiss Ratings reissued 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 report on Sunday, December 14th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Buy”.

Key Headlines Impacting Waterstone Financial

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

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC grew its position in Waterstone Financial by 7.7% during the second quarter. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC now owns 15,840 shares of the savings and loans company’s stock valued at $219,000 after buying an additional 1,135 shares during the period. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of Waterstone Financial by 557.9% during the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,875 shares of the savings and loans company’s stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 1,590 shares during the period. Rhumbline Advisers grew its position in shares of Waterstone Financial by 6.7% during the 2nd quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 26,848 shares of the savings and loans company’s stock valued at $371,000 after acquiring an additional 1,676 shares during the period. Larson Financial Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of Waterstone Financial in the 3rd quarter valued at about $30,000. Finally, CWM LLC raised its holdings in Waterstone Financial by 16.3% in the 4th quarter. CWM LLC now owns 14,152 shares of the savings and loans company’s stock worth $234,000 after purchasing an additional 1,987 shares during the period. 62.71% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.