Wintrust Financial (NASDAQ:WTFC) CFO David Stoehr Sells 2,499 Shares of Stock

Wintrust Financial Corporation (NASDAQ:WTFC) CFO David Stoehr sold 2,499 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, January 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $146.16, for a total transaction of $365,253.84. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 18,638 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,724,130.08. The trade was a 11.82% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website.

Wintrust Financial Stock Up 1.8%

Shares of WTFC opened at $147.90 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.99, a current ratio of 1.00 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $141.90 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $134.66. The stock has a market cap of $9.90 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.97 and a beta of 0.88. Wintrust Financial Corporation has a 12 month low of $89.10 and a 12 month high of $155.99.

Wintrust Financial (NASDAQ:WTFC) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, January 20th. The bank reported $3.15 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.93 by $0.22. The business had revenue of $586.67 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $700.85 million. Wintrust Financial had a return on equity of 12.95% and a net margin of 19.48%.During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $2.63 EPS. Equities analysts predict that Wintrust Financial Corporation will post 10.36 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Wintrust Financial Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, February 19th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, February 5th will be paid a $0.55 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, February 5th. This represents a $2.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.5%. This is a boost from Wintrust Financial’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.50. Wintrust Financial’s dividend payout ratio is presently 17.54%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages recently issued reports on WTFC. Stephens increased their target price on shares of Wintrust Financial from $158.00 to $162.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Wintrust Financial in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. Citigroup boosted their target price on Wintrust Financial from $167.00 to $178.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. Royal Bank Of Canada raised their price target on Wintrust Financial from $160.00 to $175.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. Finally, DA Davidson boosted their price objective on Wintrust Financial from $165.00 to $172.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have issued a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $164.42.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Wintrust Financial

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Advisors Asset Management Inc. bought a new stake in Wintrust Financial during the 1st quarter worth about $27,000. Jones Financial Companies Lllp raised its stake in shares of Wintrust Financial by 49.0% during the first quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 1,019 shares of the bank’s stock worth $115,000 after buying an additional 335 shares during the last quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC lifted its holdings in Wintrust Financial by 7.2% in the first quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 179,430 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $20,179,000 after buying an additional 12,103 shares during the period. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC boosted its stake in Wintrust Financial by 2.0% in the second quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 7,767 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $1,025,000 after acquiring an additional 155 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Farther Finance Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Wintrust Financial by 20.4% during the 2nd quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 601 shares of the bank’s stock worth $74,000 after acquiring an additional 102 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 93.48% of the company’s stock.

About Wintrust Financial

Wintrust Financial Corporation is a Chicago‐area bank holding company headquartered in Rosemont, Illinois. Through its primary subsidiary, Wintrust Bank, the company operates a network of community banks serving metropolitan Chicago and select markets in southeastern Wisconsin. These locally branded banks provide personalized commercial and consumer banking solutions tailored to small and mid‐size businesses, professionals, and individual clients.

The firm’s core offerings include deposit products, commercial and residential lending, treasury management, and mortgage banking services.