West Bancorporation (NASDAQ:WTBA) Shares Pass Above 200-Day Moving Average – Here’s Why

West Bancorporation, Inc. (NASDAQ:WTBA)’s share price passed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Wednesday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $21.33 and traded as high as $26.07. West Bancorporation shares last traded at $25.51, with a volume of 51,624 shares changing hands.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have recently commented on the company. Zacks Research raised West Bancorporation from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. Weiss Ratings raised West Bancorporation from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Thursday, February 5th. Finally, Piper Sandler upped their target price on West Bancorporation from $20.50 to $24.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday, October 27th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, one has assigned a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, West Bancorporation has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $24.00.

West Bancorporation Stock Performance

The company has a current ratio of 0.97, a quick ratio of 0.97 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.52. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $23.26 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $21.33. The firm has a market capitalization of $432.14 million, a PE ratio of 13.36 and a beta of 0.86.

West Bancorporation (NASDAQ:WTBA) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, January 29th. The financial services provider reported $0.61 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.57 by $0.04. The firm had revenue of $17.62 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $26.70 million. West Bancorporation had a return on equity of 14.59% and a net margin of 16.08%. On average, equities analysts expect that West Bancorporation, Inc. will post 1.65 earnings per share for the current year.

West Bancorporation Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, February 25th. Investors of record on Wednesday, February 11th will be paid a dividend of $0.25 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, February 11th. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.9%. West Bancorporation’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 52.36%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director George D. Milligan sold 10,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $21.71, for a total value of $217,100.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 53,195 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,154,863.45. The trade was a 15.82% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 4.58% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On West Bancorporation

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Russell Investments Group Ltd. raised its position in shares of West Bancorporation by 4,593.5% in the third quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 1,455 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $30,000 after buying an additional 1,424 shares during the last quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets grew its stake in West Bancorporation by 68.9% in the 2nd quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 1,618 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $32,000 after acquiring an additional 660 shares during the period. CWM LLC grew its stake in West Bancorporation by 157.6% in the 3rd quarter. CWM LLC now owns 1,672 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $34,000 after acquiring an additional 1,023 shares during the period. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC raised its holdings in West Bancorporation by 662.9% in the 2nd quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 3,784 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $74,000 after acquiring an additional 3,288 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Empowered Funds LLC purchased a new position in shares of West Bancorporation during the 4th quarter worth $126,000. 44.30% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

West Bancorporation Company Profile

West Bancorporation, Inc is the bank holding company for West Town Bank and Trust, a full-service community bank headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. Through its subsidiary, the company offers a comprehensive suite of commercial and consumer banking products, including deposit accounts, residential and commercial mortgages, business loans and treasury management services. West Bancorporation focuses on delivering personalized financial solutions to small- and medium-sized businesses, real estate developers and individual customers within its urban market.

Since launching operations in 2006, West Town Bank and Trust has steadily expanded its presence across the Chicago metropolitan area.