West Bancorporation, Inc. (NASDAQ:WTBA) Plans $0.25 Quarterly Dividend

by · The Markets Daily

West Bancorporation, Inc. (NASDAQ:WTBA – Get Free Report) declared a quarterly dividend on Wednesday, January 28th. Investors of record on Wednesday, February 11th will be given a dividend of 0.25 per share by the financial services provider on Wednesday, February 25th. This represents a c) annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, February 11th.

West Bancorporation has increased its dividend by an average of 0.0%per year over the last three years. West Bancorporation has a dividend payout ratio of 44.4% meaning its dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings. Equities research analysts expect West Bancorporation to earn $1.95 per share next year, which means the company should continue to be able to cover its $1.00 annual dividend with an expected future payout ratio of 51.3%.

West Bancorporation Price Performance

Shares of West Bancorporation stock traded up $0.94 on Thursday, hitting $23.27. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 30,105 shares, compared to its average volume of 28,874. The company has a market capitalization of $394.19 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.25 and a beta of 0.84. West Bancorporation has a 1 year low of $17.31 and a 1 year high of $24.27. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $22.65 and a 200-day moving average price of $20.94. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.52, a quick ratio of 0.97 and a current ratio of 0.97.

West Bancorporation (NASDAQ:WTBA – Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 29th. The financial services provider reported $0.61 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.57 by $0.04. West Bancorporation had a net margin of 16.04% and a return on equity of 13.40%. The company had revenue of $17.62 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $26.70 million. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that West Bancorporation will post 1.65 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at West Bancorporation

In related news, Director Douglas R. Gulling sold 7,900 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, November 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $21.75, for a total transaction of $171,825.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 72,338 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,573,351.50. This represents a 9.85% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, Director George D. Milligan sold 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, November 24th. The stock was 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 $1,154,863.45. The trade was a 15.82% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 23,726 shares of company stock valued at $517,097 over the last three months. Insiders own 4.58% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in WTBA. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its stake in shares of West Bancorporation by 4.5% during the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 875,719 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $17,795,000 after acquiring an additional 37,502 shares during the last quarter. Aptus Capital Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in West Bancorporation by 15.2% in the 3rd quarter. Aptus Capital Advisors LLC now owns 402,664 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $8,182,000 after purchasing an additional 53,182 shares in the last quarter. Rhino Investment Partners Inc acquired a new stake in shares of West Bancorporation during the 3rd quarter worth about $1,918,000. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership grew its holdings in shares of West Bancorporation by 14.5% during the third quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 58,655 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $1,192,000 after buying an additional 7,428 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Two Sigma Investments LP raised its position in shares of West Bancorporation by 102.5% in the third quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP now owns 39,200 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $797,000 after buying an additional 19,846 shares during the last quarter. 44.30% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

West Bancorporation Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

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.

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