Waterstone Financial (NASDAQ:WSBF) Posts Quarterly Earnings Results

Waterstone Financial (NASDAQ:WSBF) issued its earnings results on Thursday. The savings and loans company reported $0.34 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.66 by ($0.32), Zacks reports. Waterstone Financial had a return on equity of 7.67% and a net margin of 13.12%.The firm had revenue of $35.69 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $65.80 million.

Waterstone Financial Stock Down 0.7%

Shares of NASDAQ WSBF traded down $0.12 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $17.85. 17,613 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 58,429. The company has a quick ratio of 1.20, a current ratio of 1.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.18. The stock has a market cap of $324.14 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.98 and a beta of 0.77. Waterstone Financial has a 1 year low of $11.91 and a 1 year high of $18.88. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $18.07 and a 200 day moving average of $16.93.

Waterstone Financial Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 1st. Investors of record on Wednesday, April 8th will be paid a dividend of $0.17 per share. This is an increase from Waterstone Financial’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.15. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, April 8th. This represents a $0.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.8%. Waterstone Financial’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 45.64%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have weighed in on WSBF shares. Wall Street Zen upgraded Waterstone Financial from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, March 7th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Waterstone Financial in a report on Monday, December 29th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, According to MarketBeat, Waterstone Financial has an average rating of “Buy”.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Douglas S. Gordon sold 2,880 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $18.11, for a total transaction of $52,156.80. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 556,773 shares in the company, valued at $10,083,159.03. This represents a 0.51% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, Director Patrick S. Lawton sold 19,255 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $18.64, for a total value of $358,913.20. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 106,780 shares of company stock worth $1,967,486 in the last three months. 7.40% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC increased its position in Waterstone Financial by 557.9% during the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,875 shares of the savings and loans company’s stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 1,590 shares in the last quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC acquired a new position in Waterstone Financial during the 3rd quarter valued at about $30,000. Raymond James Financial Inc. acquired a new position in Waterstone Financial during the 2nd quarter valued at about $28,000. Simplex Trading LLC increased its position in Waterstone Financial by 69.3% during the 4th quarter. Simplex Trading LLC now owns 2,306 shares of the savings and loans company’s stock valued at $38,000 after buying an additional 944 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Gamco Investors INC. ET AL acquired a new position in Waterstone Financial during the 2nd quarter valued at about $138,000. 62.71% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Waterstone Financial Company Profile

Waterstone Financial, Inc is a bank holding company based in Glendale, Wisconsin, that provides a broad range of financial services to individuals, businesses and institutions. Its primary operations are conducted through its wholly owned subsidiary, Waterstone Bank, which offers deposit products, loan facilities and treasury management services. The company focuses on delivering relationship-based banking solutions tailored to the needs of small and medium-sized enterprises as well as retail customers.

In addition to traditional commercial and consumer banking, Waterstone Financial supports its clients with specialized financing, including real estate, equipment and asset-based lending.