Waterstone Financial (NASDAQ:WSBF) Share Price Passes Above Two Hundred Day Moving Average – Here’s Why

Waterstone Financial, Inc. (NASDAQ:WSBF)’s stock price passed above its two hundred day moving average during trading on Wednesday . The stock has a two hundred day moving average of $18.08 and traded as high as $20.93. Waterstone Financial shares last traded at $20.89, with a volume of 100,134 shares changing hands.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

WSBF has been the topic of several analyst reports. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Waterstone Financial in a report on Friday, May 29th. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Waterstone Financial from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, May 9th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat, Waterstone Financial currently has a consensus rating of “Buy”.

Waterstone Financial Stock Performance

The company has a fifty day moving average of $18.77 and a two-hundred day moving average of $18.08. The stock has a market capitalization of $377.06 million, a P/E ratio of 12.58 and a beta of 0.71. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.19, a current ratio of 1.29 and a quick ratio of 1.19.

Waterstone Financial (NASDAQ:WSBF) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 23rd. The savings and loans company reported $0.34 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.66 by ($0.32). Waterstone Financial had a return on equity of 8.48% and a net margin of 14.28%.The business had revenue of $35.69 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $65.80 million.

Waterstone Financial Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 3rd. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, July 8th will be given a dividend of $0.17 per share. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, July 8th. This represents a $0.68 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.3%. Waterstone Financial’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 40.96%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CFO Mark Raymond Gerke sold 10,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $18.34, for a total value of $183,400.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 30,034 shares in the company, valued at $550,823.56. The trade was a 24.98% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Company insiders own 6.00% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in WSBF. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Waterstone Financial by 557.9% in 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 purchasing an additional 1,590 shares during the period. Larson Financial Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of Waterstone Financial in the third quarter valued at about $30,000. Raymond James Financial Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Waterstone Financial during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $28,000. Simplex Trading LLC increased its holdings in Waterstone Financial by 69.3% in the 4th quarter. Simplex Trading LLC now owns 2,306 shares of the savings and loans company’s stock valued at $38,000 after buying an additional 944 shares during the period. Finally, SG Americas Securities LLC bought a new position in Waterstone Financial during the fourth quarter worth about $126,000. 62.71% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Waterstone Financial Company Profile

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.