Piper Sandler Has Lowered Expectations for West Bancorporation (NASDAQ:WTBA) Stock Price

West Bancorporation (NASDAQ:WTBA) had its price target trimmed by Piper Sandler from $25.00 to $23.00 in a report released on Monday morning,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a neutral rating on the financial services provider’s stock.

Separately, StockNews.com raised shares of West Bancorporation from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, October 28th.

West Bancorporation Price Performance

West Bancorporation stock opened at $22.10 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.86, a quick ratio of 0.95 and a current ratio of 0.95. The company has a market cap of $372.01 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.27 and a beta of 0.98. West Bancorporation has a 1 year low of $15.80 and a 1 year high of $24.85. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $22.39 and a 200 day moving average price of $20.92.

West Bancorporation (NASDAQ:WTBA) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 23rd. The financial services provider reported $0.42 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.40 by $0.02. West Bancorporation had a return on equity of 9.46% and a net margin of 11.17%. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.27 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts predict that West Bancorporation will post 1.4 earnings per share for the current year.

West Bancorporation Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, February 19th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, February 5th will be given a dividend of $0.25 per share. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.52%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, February 5th. West Bancorporation’s payout ratio is 69.93%.

Insider Buying and Selling at West Bancorporation

In related news, Director Douglas R. Gulling sold 4,000 shares of West Bancorporation stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $23.61, for a total value of $94,440.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 80,709 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,905,539.49. This trade represents a 4.72 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. 4.48% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On West Bancorporation

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. SG Americas Securities LLC acquired a new position in West Bancorporation during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $114,000. Aptus Capital Advisors LLC lifted its position in West Bancorporation by 15.6% in the 3rd quarter. Aptus Capital Advisors LLC now owns 230,629 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $4,384,000 after purchasing an additional 31,194 shares during the last quarter. De Lisle Partners LLP grew its position in West Bancorporation by 27.3% in the 3rd quarter. De Lisle Partners LLP now owns 32,156 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $612,000 after purchasing an additional 6,893 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp increased its stake in shares of West Bancorporation by 1.9% in the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 372,033 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $7,072,000 after purchasing an additional 6,809 shares during the period. Finally, Barclays PLC raised its holdings in shares of West Bancorporation by 291.2% during the third quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 20,977 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $398,000 after buying an additional 15,615 shares during the last quarter. 44.30% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

West Bancorporation Company Profile

West Bancorporation, Inc operates as the financial holding company provides community banking and trust services to individuals and small- to medium-sized businesses in the United States. It offers deposit services, including checking, savings, and money market accounts, as well as time certificates of deposit.