West Bancorporation, Inc. (NASDAQ:WTBA) CEO David D. Nelson Buys 639 Shares of Stock

West Bancorporation, Inc. (NASDAQ:WTBA) CEO David D. Nelson acquired 639 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 19th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $22.27 per share, for a total transaction of $14,230.53. Following the completion of the acquisition, the chief executive officer now owns 124,866 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,780,765.82. This trade represents a 0.51 % increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink.

West Bancorporation Stock Down 0.6 %

West Bancorporation stock opened at $22.28 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $374.97 million, a PE ratio of 15.58 and a beta of 0.97. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.86, a current ratio of 0.95 and a quick ratio of 0.95. West Bancorporation, Inc. has a 1-year low of $15.80 and a 1-year high of $24.85. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $21.83 and its two-hundred day moving average is $21.09.

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

West Bancorporation Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, February 19th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, February 5th were paid a dividend of $0.25 per share. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, February 5th. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.49%. West Bancorporation’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 69.93%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On West Bancorporation

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in WTBA. SG Americas Securities LLC acquired a new stake in West Bancorporation in the third quarter valued at $114,000. City State Bank increased its position in shares of West Bancorporation by 6.4% in the fourth quarter. City State Bank now owns 8,354 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $181,000 after buying an additional 499 shares in the last quarter. First Trust Advisors LP purchased a new stake in shares of West Bancorporation in the 4th quarter worth about $226,000. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC acquired a new position in West Bancorporation during the fourth quarter worth about $232,000. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company MN lifted its holdings in shares of West Bancorporation by 20.4% in the fourth quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN now owns 12,157 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $263,000 after purchasing an additional 2,062 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 44.30% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on WTBA shares. StockNews.com upgraded West Bancorporation from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, February 6th. Piper Sandler dropped their price target 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 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.