West Bancorporation (NASDAQ:WTBA) Rating Increased to Hold at StockNews.com

StockNews.com upgraded shares of West Bancorporation (NASDAQ:WTBA) from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research report sent to investors on Thursday morning.

Separately, Piper Sandler decreased their target price on shares of West Bancorporation from $25.00 to $23.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, January 27th.

West Bancorporation Stock Up 1.3 %

NASDAQ:WTBA opened at $22.36 on Thursday. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $22.15 and its 200 day moving average price is $20.97. The firm has a market capitalization of $376.39 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.64 and a beta of 0.97. The company has a current ratio of 0.95, a quick ratio of 0.95 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.86. West Bancorporation has a 1-year low of $15.80 and a 1-year high of $24.85.

West Bancorporation (NASDAQ:WTBA) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, January 23rd. The financial services provider reported $0.42 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.40 by $0.02. West Bancorporation had a return on equity of 10.56% and a net margin of 12.12%. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $0.27 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that West Bancorporation will post 1.65 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

West Bancorporation Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, February 19th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, February 5th will be issued a dividend of $0.25 per share. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, February 5th. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.47%. West Bancorporation’s dividend payout ratio is 69.93%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On West Bancorporation

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. SG Americas Securities LLC acquired a new stake in West Bancorporation in the third quarter valued at approximately $114,000. City State Bank lifted its stake in shares of 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 during the last quarter. Barclays PLC boosted its position in West Bancorporation by 291.2% during the third 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 period. Fortress Financial Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of West Bancorporation during the 4th quarter worth $407,000. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. grew its stake in West Bancorporation by 267.5% in the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 25,946 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $493,000 after buying an additional 18,885 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 44.30% of the company’s stock.

About West Bancorporation

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.