O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC Buys 1,019 Shares of Westamerica Bancorporation (NASDAQ:WABC)

O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Westamerica Bancorporation (NASDAQ:WABC) by 9.7% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 11,501 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 1,019 shares during the quarter. O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC’s holdings in Westamerica Bancorporation were worth $603,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the business. New Age Alpha Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Westamerica Bancorporation during the fourth quarter worth approximately $1,865,000. Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of Westamerica Bancorporation during the fourth quarter worth approximately $3,564,000. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised its stake in shares of Westamerica Bancorporation by 74.7% during the fourth quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 142,330 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $7,467,000 after acquiring an additional 60,871 shares in the last quarter. WINTON GROUP Ltd raised its stake in shares of Westamerica Bancorporation by 1.1% during the fourth quarter. WINTON GROUP Ltd now owns 21,619 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $1,134,000 after acquiring an additional 227 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. raised its stake in shares of Westamerica Bancorporation by 1.0% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 3,505,495 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $183,898,000 after acquiring an additional 34,762 shares in the last quarter. 81.89% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Westamerica Bancorporation Trading Up 4.0 %

WABC stock opened at $46.49 on Thursday. The company has a market capitalization of $1.24 billion, a PE ratio of 8.94 and a beta of 0.63. Westamerica Bancorporation has a one year low of $43.57 and a one year high of $59.97. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $49.92 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $51.82. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.15, a quick ratio of 0.26 and a current ratio of 0.27.

Westamerica Bancorporation (NASDAQ:WABC) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 16th. The financial services provider reported $1.19 EPS for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $1.19. Westamerica Bancorporation had a net margin of 44.55% and a return on equity of 16.15%. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.48 EPS. As a group, analysts predict that Westamerica Bancorporation will post 4.35 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Westamerica Bancorporation Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 14th. Investors of record on Monday, February 3rd were paid a $0.44 dividend. This represents a $1.76 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.79%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, February 3rd. Westamerica Bancorporation’s payout ratio is 33.85%.

Westamerica Bancorporation Company Profile

Westamerica Bancorporation operates as a bank holding company for the Westamerica Bank that provides various banking products and services to individual and commercial customers. The company accepts various deposit products, including retail savings and checking accounts, as well as certificates of deposit.