Bankwell Financial Group (NASDAQ:BWFG) Downgraded to “Hold” Rating by Wall Street Zen

Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Bankwell Financial Group (NASDAQ:BWFG) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report report published on Saturday.

A number of other equities analysts have also commented on BWFG. Hovde Group increased their price target on shares of Bankwell Financial Group from $48.00 to $49.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a report on Monday, February 2nd. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Bankwell Financial Group in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods increased their target price on Bankwell Financial Group from $53.00 to $55.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $52.00.

Bankwell Financial Group Stock Down 1.4%

Shares of NASDAQ:BWFG opened at $46.32 on Friday. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $47.84 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $45.80. The company has a market cap of $369.63 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.43 and a beta of 0.67. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60, a current ratio of 1.06 and a quick ratio of 1.07. Bankwell Financial Group has a one year low of $26.39 and a one year high of $51.54.

Bankwell Financial Group (NASDAQ:BWFG) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 29th. The bank reported $1.36 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.20 by $0.16. Bankwell Financial Group had a net margin of 16.94% and a return on equity of 12.21%. The firm had revenue of $30.32 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $28.06 million.

Bankwell Financial Group Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 20th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, February 10th were paid a $0.20 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, February 10th. This represents a $0.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.7%. Bankwell Financial Group’s dividend payout ratio is 18.02%.

Insider Activity at Bankwell Financial Group

In related news, insider Matt Mcneill sold 3,794 shares of Bankwell Financial Group stock in a transaction on Monday, February 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $49.83, for a total value of $189,055.02. Following the transaction, the insider owned 45,019 shares in the company, valued at $2,243,296.77. This trade represents a 7.77% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP Christine Chivily sold 1,985 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, February 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $49.80, for a total transaction of $98,853.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 16,186 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $806,062.80. This represents a 10.92% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last 90 days, insiders have purchased 4,195 shares of company stock worth $198,508 and have sold 11,897 shares worth $592,523. 19.48% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Bankwell Financial Group

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of BWFG. Acadian Asset Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Bankwell Financial Group by 5.5% in the second quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC now owns 93,233 shares of the bank’s stock worth $3,357,000 after buying an additional 4,890 shares during the period. Hillsdale Investment Management Inc. purchased a new stake in Bankwell Financial Group during the 3rd quarter valued at $4,280,000. Fourthstone LLC grew its holdings in Bankwell Financial Group by 60.2% in the 2nd quarter. Fourthstone LLC now owns 266,865 shares of the bank’s stock worth $9,615,000 after acquiring an additional 100,302 shares during the last quarter. Police & Firemen s Retirement System of New Jersey purchased a new position in shares of Bankwell Financial Group in the second quarter valued at about $50,000. Finally, CWM LLC increased its position in shares of Bankwell Financial Group by 71.8% in the third quarter. CWM LLC now owns 1,041 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $46,000 after acquiring an additional 435 shares during the period. 35.80% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Bankwell Financial Group

Bankwell Financial Group, Inc is a bank holding company headquartered in Westchester, Illinois, and serves as the parent of Bankwell Bank. Through its subsidiary, the company provides a full suite of banking products and services designed for both individual consumers and small? to mid?sized businesses. Bankwell Bank operates multiple branches across suburban Cook and Lake counties, focusing on personalized service and local decision?making.

The company’s deposit offerings include checking, savings and money market accounts, as well as certificates of deposit, all supported by an online and mobile banking platform for convenient account access.