WaFd, Inc. $WAFD Shares Sold by Artisan Partners Limited Partnership

Artisan Partners Limited Partnership lowered its holdings in WaFd, Inc. (NASDAQ:WAFD) by 6.3% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 1,024,145 shares of the bank’s stock after selling 69,397 shares during the quarter. Artisan Partners Limited Partnership owned 1.30% of WaFd worth $31,021,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. increased its holdings in shares of WaFd by 42.8% in the 2nd quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 1,174 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $34,000 after purchasing an additional 352 shares in the last quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. grew its position in WaFd by 2.7% during the third quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 14,070 shares of the bank’s stock worth $426,000 after buying an additional 374 shares during the period. California State Teachers Retirement System grew its position in WaFd by 0.6% during the second quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System now owns 75,005 shares of the bank’s stock worth $2,196,000 after buying an additional 420 shares during the period. McIlrath & Eck LLC increased its holdings in WaFd by 57.6% in the second quarter. McIlrath & Eck LLC now owns 1,327 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $39,000 after buying an additional 485 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Blue Trust Inc. lifted its position in shares of WaFd by 36.0% during the 3rd quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 1,837 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $56,000 after acquiring an additional 486 shares during the period. 83.71% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

WaFd Stock Down 4.4%

Shares of NASDAQ:WAFD opened at $31.16 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.95, a current ratio of 0.95 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.89. The company has a market capitalization of $2.36 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.78 and a beta of 0.86. WaFd, Inc. has a 52-week low of $23.75 and a 52-week high of $34.29. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $32.72 and its 200-day simple moving average is $31.52.

WaFd (NASDAQ:WAFD) last announced its earnings results on Friday, January 16th. The bank reported $0.75 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.76 by ($0.01). The firm had revenue of $188.32 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $193.36 million. WaFd had a net margin of 17.45% and a return on equity of 8.67%. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that WaFd, Inc. will post 2.56 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

WaFd Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 27th. Investors of record on Friday, February 13th were given a dividend of $0.27 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 13th. This represents a $1.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.5%. WaFd’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 37.37%.

Insider Activity at WaFd

In related news, EVP Cathy E. Cooper sold 5,300 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, February 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $33.77, for a total value of $178,981.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 94,755 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,199,876.35. This represents a 5.30% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CEO Brent J. Beardall bought 3,000 shares of WaFd stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, December 3rd. The shares were acquired at an average price of $16.85 per share, for a total transaction of $50,550.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 6,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $101,100. This trade represents a 100.00% increase in their position. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. 1.49% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms recently weighed in on WAFD. Wall Street Zen upgraded WaFd from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Sunday, February 8th. Piper Sandler lowered their target price on WaFd from $33.50 to $30.50 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, January 20th. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $34.00 price target on WaFd in a research report on Tuesday, January 20th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods boosted their price objective on shares of WaFd from $31.00 to $34.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 20th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of WaFd in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating, Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $32.90.

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.