West Bancorporation (NASDAQ:WTBA) Stock Passes Above 200 Day Moving Average – Time to Sell?

West Bancorporation, Inc. (NASDAQ:WTBAGet Free Report)’s stock price crossed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Friday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $25.63 and traded as high as $29.50. West Bancorporation shares last traded at $29.37, with a volume of 44,437 shares trading hands.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

WTBA has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Hovde Group upped their target price on shares of West Bancorporation from $25.50 to $28.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a report on Friday, July 24th. Wall Street Zen cut shares of West Bancorporation from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, August 1st. Piper Sandler lifted their target price on West Bancorporation from $27.00 to $30.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday, July 27th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b)” rating on shares of West Bancorporation in a research note on Wednesday, September 2nd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $29.00.

Check Out Our Latest Analysis on West Bancorporation

West Bancorporation Stock Up 0.6%

The company has a market cap of $500.46 million, a P/E ratio of 13.17 and a beta of 0.71. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $28.10 and a 200 day simple moving average of $25.63. The company has a current ratio of 1.00, a quick ratio of 1.00 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.33.

West Bancorporation (NASDAQ:WTBAGet Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 23rd. The financial services provider reported $0.64 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.63 by $0.01. West Bancorporation had a return on equity of 15.48% and a net margin of 18.75%.The firm had revenue of $28.22 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $28.15 million. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $0.47 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts anticipate that West Bancorporation, Inc. will post 2.59 EPS for the current year.

West Bancorporation Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, August 19th. Investors of record on Wednesday, August 5th were given a dividend of $0.26 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, August 5th. This is an increase from West Bancorporation’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.25. This represents a $1.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.5%. West Bancorporation’s dividend payout ratio is 46.64%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Empowered Funds LLC acquired a new stake in shares of West Bancorporation in the 4th quarter worth $126,000. CANADA LIFE ASSURANCE Co increased its holdings in shares of West Bancorporation by 37.6% during the fourth quarter. CANADA LIFE ASSURANCE Co now owns 1,665 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $37,000 after acquiring an additional 455 shares in the last quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets raised its position in shares of West Bancorporation by 86.5% in the 3rd quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 3,017 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $61,000 after purchasing an additional 1,399 shares during the last quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. boosted its stake in West Bancorporation by 4,593.5% in the 3rd quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 1,455 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 1,424 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Tower Research Capital LLC TRC grew its position in West Bancorporation by 662.9% during the 2nd quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 3,784 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $74,000 after purchasing an additional 3,288 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 44.30% of the company’s stock.

About West Bancorporation

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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.

Further Reading

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