BNP Paribas Financial Markets Reduces Stake in Westamerica Bancorporation (NASDAQ:WABC)

BNP Paribas Financial Markets lessened its holdings in shares of Westamerica Bancorporation (NASDAQ:WABC) by 12.6% in the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 11,758 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after selling 1,694 shares during the quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets’ holdings in Westamerica Bancorporation were worth $581,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd bought a new stake in shares of Westamerica Bancorporation during the 3rd quarter valued at $848,000. Victory Capital Management Inc. raised its stake in Westamerica Bancorporation by 58.5% in the third quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 34,428 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $1,701,000 after purchasing an additional 12,702 shares in the last quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans lifted its position in Westamerica Bancorporation by 23.2% during the third quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans now owns 61,990 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $3,064,000 after purchasing an additional 11,674 shares during the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. lifted its stake in Westamerica Bancorporation by 7.4% during the third quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 334,297 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $16,521,000 after purchasing an additional 22,902 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Versor Investments LP bought a new position in Westamerica Bancorporation during the third quarter valued at approximately $642,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 81.89% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, StockNews.com raised Westamerica Bancorporation from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 17th.

Westamerica Bancorporation Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:WABC opened at $55.92 on Friday. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $54.16 and a 200-day moving average price of $51.30. The company has a market cap of $1.49 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.19 and a beta of 0.57. The company has a current ratio of 0.26, a quick ratio of 0.26 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.15. Westamerica Bancorporation has a 12 month low of $43.82 and a 12 month high of $59.97.

Westamerica Bancorporation (NASDAQ:WABC) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 17th. The financial services provider reported $1.27 EPS for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $1.27. The business had revenue of $74.07 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $72.74 million. Westamerica Bancorporation had a net margin of 45.73% and a return on equity of 17.67%. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Westamerica Bancorporation will post 5.17 EPS for the current year.

Westamerica Bancorporation Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, November 15th. Shareholders of record on Monday, November 4th were issued a $0.44 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, November 4th. This represents a $1.76 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.15%. Westamerica Bancorporation’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 32.06%.

Westamerica Bancorporation Profile

Westamerica Bancorporation operates as a bank holding company for the Westamerica Bank that provides various banking products and services to individual and commercial customers. The company accepts various deposit products, including retail savings and checking accounts, as well as certificates of deposit.