Bankwell Financial Group (NASDAQ:BWFG) Shares Cross Above 50 Day Moving Average – Time to Sell?

Bankwell Financial Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:BWFG) shares passed above its 50 day moving average during trading on Monday . The stock has a 50 day moving average of $47.94 and traded as high as $50.66. Bankwell Financial Group shares last traded at $49.90, with a volume of 49,454 shares trading hands.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

BWFG has been the subject of several research reports. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods increased their price target on Bankwell Financial Group from $53.00 to $55.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Bankwell Financial Group in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Finally, Hovde Group boosted their price target on shares of Bankwell Financial Group from $48.00 to $49.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $52.00.

Bankwell Financial Group Price Performance

The business’s 50-day moving average price is $47.94 and its 200 day moving average price is $44.73. The company has a market capitalization of $393.21 million, a P/E ratio of 11.24 and a beta of 0.70. The company has a quick ratio of 1.07, a current ratio of 1.07 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.49.

Bankwell Financial Group (NASDAQ:BWFG) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, January 29th. The bank reported $1.15 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.20 by ($0.05). Bankwell Financial Group had a return on equity of 12.40% and a net margin of 16.94%.The firm had revenue of $30.32 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $28.06 million.

Bankwell Financial Group Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 20th. Investors of record on Tuesday, February 10th will be given a $0.20 dividend. This represents a $0.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.6%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, February 10th. Bankwell Financial Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 18.02%.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Christine Chivily sold 2,553 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $45.52, for a total transaction of $116,212.56. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 13,939 shares in the company, valued at $634,503.28. The trade was a 15.48% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director Eric J. Dale bought 746 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, December 5th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $47.64 per share, for a total transaction of $35,539.44. Following the completion of the purchase, the director directly owned 41,296 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,967,341.44. The trade was a 1.84% increase in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Over the last 90 days, insiders have purchased 2,208 shares of company stock valued at $105,212. 19.48% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Bankwell Financial Group

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Ameritas Investment Partners Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Bankwell Financial Group by 70.7% in the 2nd quarter. Ameritas Investment Partners Inc. now owns 722 shares of the bank’s stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 299 shares during the last quarter. Barclays PLC grew its position in Bankwell Financial Group by 1.3% in the third quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 24,040 shares of the bank’s stock worth $1,064,000 after acquiring an additional 307 shares in the last quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets increased its stake in Bankwell Financial Group by 38.8% in the second quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 1,124 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $40,000 after acquiring an additional 314 shares during the last quarter. CWM LLC raised its position in Bankwell Financial Group by 71.8% during the third quarter. CWM LLC now owns 1,041 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $46,000 after purchasing an additional 435 shares in the last quarter. Finally, GM Advisory Group LLC lifted its stake in Bankwell Financial Group by 0.5% during the third quarter. GM Advisory Group LLC now owns 105,587 shares of the bank’s stock worth $4,672,000 after purchasing an additional 521 shares during the last quarter. 35.80% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Bankwell Financial Group Company Profile

Bankwell Financial Group, Inc is a bank holding company headquartered in Westchester, Illinois, and serves as the parent of Bankwell Bank. Through its subsidiary, the company provides a full suite of banking products and services designed for both individual consumers and small‐ to mid‐sized businesses. Bankwell Bank operates multiple branches across suburban Cook and Lake counties, focusing on personalized service and local decision‐making.

The company’s deposit offerings include checking, savings and money market accounts, as well as certificates of deposit, all supported by an online and mobile banking platform for convenient account access.