West Bancorporation (NASDAQ:WTBA) Stock Crosses Above 200 Day Moving Average – Should You Sell?

Shares of West Bancorporation, Inc. (NASDAQ:WTBA) passed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Wednesday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $20.18 and traded as high as $22.28. West Bancorporation shares last traded at $22.01, with a volume of 9,268 shares trading hands.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on WTBA shares. StockNews.com raised shares of West Bancorporation from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, October 28th. Piper Sandler increased their price objective on West Bancorporation from $21.00 to $23.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, October 25th.

West Bancorporation Stock Up 0.3 %

The firm has a market cap of $370.49 million, a PE ratio of 17.20 and a beta of 0.97. The company has a current ratio of 0.95, a quick ratio of 0.95 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.86. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $22.82 and a 200-day moving average price of $20.18.

West Bancorporation (NASDAQ:WTBA) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 24th. The financial services provider reported $0.35 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.31 by $0.04. West Bancorporation had a net margin of 11.17% and a return on equity of 9.46%. The company had revenue of $50.97 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $20.00 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $0.35 earnings per share. Research analysts forecast that West Bancorporation, Inc. will post 1.4 EPS for the current fiscal year.

West Bancorporation Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, November 20th. Investors of record on Wednesday, November 6th were issued a $0.25 dividend. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.54%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, November 6th. West Bancorporation’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 78.13%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director Douglas R. Gulling sold 4,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $23.61, for a total value of $94,440.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 80,709 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,905,539.49. This represents a 4.72 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. 4.48% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On West Bancorporation

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. State Street Corp lifted its position in shares of West Bancorporation by 1.9% during the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 372,033 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $7,072,000 after buying an additional 6,809 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in West Bancorporation by 2.1% in the third quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 356,288 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $6,775,000 after acquiring an additional 7,320 shares in the last quarter. Aptus Capital Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of West Bancorporation by 15.6% during the third quarter. Aptus Capital Advisors LLC now owns 230,629 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $4,384,000 after purchasing an additional 31,194 shares during the last quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC increased its position in shares of West Bancorporation by 3.9% during the second quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 216,752 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $3,880,000 after purchasing an additional 8,200 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Bank of New York Mellon Corp boosted its position in shares of West Bancorporation by 3.4% in the 2nd quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 120,264 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $2,153,000 after purchasing an additional 3,945 shares during the period. 44.30% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

West Bancorporation Company Profile

West Bancorporation, Inc operates as the financial holding company provides community banking and trust services to individuals and small- to medium-sized businesses in the United States. It offers deposit services, including checking, savings, and money market accounts, as well as time certificates of deposit.