EntryPoint Capital LLC Decreases Position in Westamerica Bancorporation (NASDAQ:WABC)

EntryPoint Capital LLC trimmed its stake in Westamerica Bancorporation (NASDAQ:WABC) by 6.7% in the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 5,388 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after selling 388 shares during the period. EntryPoint Capital LLC’s holdings in Westamerica Bancorporation were worth $283,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its holdings in Westamerica Bancorporation by 1.0% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 3,505,495 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $183,898,000 after buying an additional 34,762 shares during the period. KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS bought a new position in Westamerica Bancorporation during the fourth quarter valued at $273,000. Teacher Retirement System of Texas raised its stake in shares of Westamerica Bancorporation by 20.0% in the fourth quarter. Teacher Retirement System of Texas now owns 25,040 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $1,314,000 after acquiring an additional 4,176 shares during the period. Gallacher Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Westamerica Bancorporation in the 4th quarter worth about $205,000. Finally, Royce & Associates LP boosted its stake in shares of Westamerica Bancorporation by 43.2% during the 4th quarter. Royce & Associates LP now owns 27,456 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $1,440,000 after purchasing an additional 8,286 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 81.89% of the company’s stock.

Westamerica Bancorporation Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:WABC opened at $50.90 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 0.27, a quick ratio of 0.26 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.15. The company has a market capitalization of $1.36 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.79 and a beta of 0.55. Westamerica Bancorporation has a 12 month low of $45.11 and a 12 month high of $59.97. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $50.93 and its 200 day moving average is $52.02.

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

Westamerica Bancorporation Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 14th. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 3rd were given a dividend of $0.44 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, February 3rd. This represents a $1.76 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.46%. Westamerica Bancorporation’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 33.85%.

About Westamerica Bancorporation

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.