Piper Sandler Cuts West Bancorporation (NASDAQ:WTBA) Price Target to $23.00

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

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

West Bancorporation Trading Up 0.2 %

WTBA 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. West Bancorporation has a one year low of $15.80 and a one year high of $24.85. The company has a market cap of $372.01 million, a P/E ratio of 17.27 and a beta of 0.98. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $22.39 and its 200-day simple moving average is $20.92.

West Bancorporation (NASDAQ:WTBA) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, January 23rd. The financial services provider reported $0.42 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.40 by $0.02. West Bancorporation had a net margin of 11.17% and a return on equity of 9.46%. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $0.27 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts expect that West Bancorporation will post 1.4 EPS for the current fiscal year.

West Bancorporation Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, February 19th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, February 5th will be paid a $0.25 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, February 5th. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.52%. West Bancorporation’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 69.93%.

Insider Transactions at West Bancorporation

In other West Bancorporation news, Director Douglas R. Gulling sold 4,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 8th. The shares were 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 of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,905,539.49. This trade represents a 4.72 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Company insiders own 4.48% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On West Bancorporation

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. SG Americas Securities LLC purchased a new stake in shares of West Bancorporation in the third quarter valued at $114,000. City State Bank lifted its holdings in West Bancorporation by 6.4% in the 4th quarter. City State Bank now owns 8,354 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $181,000 after purchasing an additional 499 shares in the last quarter. Barclays PLC boosted its stake in shares of West Bancorporation by 291.2% during the 3rd quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 20,977 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $398,000 after purchasing an additional 15,615 shares during the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. grew its holdings in shares of West Bancorporation by 267.5% during the third quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 25,946 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $493,000 after buying an additional 18,885 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Mutual Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of West Bancorporation by 2.6% in the fourth quarter. Mutual Advisors LLC now owns 28,176 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $594,000 after buying an additional 713 shares during the last quarter. 44.30% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.