West Bancorporation (NASDAQ:WTBA) Shares Cross Above Two Hundred Day Moving Average – Should You Sell?

West Bancorporation, Inc. (NASDAQ:WTBA)’s stock price passed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Wednesday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $20.18 and traded as high as $22.28. West Bancorporation shares last traded at $22.01, with a volume of 9,268 shares trading hands.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts recently issued reports on WTBA shares. StockNews.com raised West Bancorporation from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, October 28th. Piper Sandler lifted their target price on West Bancorporation from $21.00 to $23.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, October 25th.

West Bancorporation Stock Up 0.5 %

The company has a market capitalization of $372.51 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.29 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. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $22.89 and its 200-day simple moving average is $20.21.

West Bancorporation (NASDAQ:WTBA) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 24th. The financial services provider reported $0.35 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.31 by $0.04. West Bancorporation had a net margin of 11.17% and a return on equity of 9.46%. The firm had revenue of $50.97 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $20.00 million. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $0.35 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that West Bancorporation, Inc. will post 1.4 EPS for the current fiscal year.

West Bancorporation Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, November 20th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, November 6th were issued a $0.25 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, November 6th. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.52%. West Bancorporation’s dividend payout ratio is currently 78.13%.

Insider Activity at West Bancorporation

In other West Bancorporation news, Director Douglas R. Gulling sold 4,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, November 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $23.61, for a total value of $94,440.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now 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 transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Company insiders own 4.48% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On West Bancorporation

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Bank of New York Mellon Corp boosted its holdings in West Bancorporation by 3.4% during the second quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 120,264 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $2,153,000 after buying an additional 3,945 shares in the last quarter. Aptus Capital Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of West Bancorporation by 24.8% during the 2nd quarter. Aptus Capital Advisors LLC now owns 199,435 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $3,570,000 after acquiring an additional 39,675 shares in the last quarter. Choreo LLC purchased a new stake in shares of West Bancorporation during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $267,000. Renaissance Technologies LLC increased its stake in West Bancorporation by 3.9% in the 2nd quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 216,752 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $3,880,000 after purchasing an additional 8,200 shares in the last quarter. Finally, SG Americas Securities LLC acquired a new position in West Bancorporation during the third quarter worth $114,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors 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.