Westamerica Bancorporation (NASDAQ:WABC) Reaches New 12-Month High – Time to Buy?

Posted by George Bondi on Jul 1st, 2026

Westamerica Bancorporation (NASDAQ:WABC – Get Free Report) reached a new 52-week high on Wednesday . The stock traded as high as $59.74 and last traded at $59.3580, with a volume of 28633 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $58.67.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods boosted their target price on Westamerica Bancorporation from $55.00 to $58.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research note on Friday, April 17th. Weiss Ratings raised Westamerica Bancorporation from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a research note on Friday, May 1st. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $58.00.

Check Out Our Latest Stock Report on Westamerica Bancorporation

Westamerica Bancorporation Price Performance

The stock’s 50 day moving average is $55.93 and its 200-day moving average is $52.60. The company has a market capitalization of $1.41 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.40 and a beta of 0.56.

Westamerica Bancorporation (NASDAQ:WABC – Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 16th. The financial services provider reported $1.13 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.08 by $0.05. Westamerica Bancorporation had a return on equity of 12.26% and a net margin of 42.08%.The business had revenue of $62.08 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $60.70 million.

Westamerica Bancorporation Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 15th. Investors of record on Monday, May 4th were given a dividend of $0.48 per share. This is a boost from Westamerica Bancorporation’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.46. This represents a $1.92 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.2%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, May 4th. Westamerica Bancorporation’s dividend payout ratio is presently 42.76%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, SVP Robert James Baker, Jr. sold 759 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, April 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $53.83, for a total value of $40,856.97. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 5.90% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Westamerica Bancorporation

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of WABC. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP lifted its position in Westamerica Bancorporation by 5.3% during the 1st quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 944,699 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $49,265,000 after acquiring an additional 47,127 shares during the period. UBS Group AG grew its holdings in Westamerica Bancorporation by 279.4% in the fourth quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 457,206 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $21,868,000 after purchasing an additional 336,714 shares during the period. Millennium Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Westamerica Bancorporation by 101.3% during the third quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 399,197 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $19,956,000 after purchasing an additional 200,884 shares in the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Westamerica Bancorporation by 35.9% during the fourth quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 381,832 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $18,263,000 after purchasing an additional 100,867 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Westamerica Bancorporation by 5.0% during the fourth quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 298,471 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $14,276,000 after purchasing an additional 14,121 shares during the last quarter. 81.89% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Westamerica Bancorporation

(Get Free Report)

Westamerica Bancorporation (NASDAQ: WABC) is a California-based bank holding company that provides a comprehensive suite of commercial banking, trust and wealth management services. Through its primary subsidiary, Westamerica Bank, the company offers deposit products, lending solutions and treasury management to a diverse clientele that includes small and mid-sized businesses, professionals, non-profit organizations and individuals.

The company’s lending portfolio encompasses commercial real estate financing, agricultural loans, equipment financing and lines of credit designed to support working capital needs.