Western Alliance Bancorporation (NYSE:WAL) Receives Consensus Rating of “Moderate Buy” from Analysts

Western Alliance Bancorporation (NYSE:WAL) has been assigned an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the fifteen analysts that are covering the stock, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and twelve have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 1-year price target among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $99.40.

Several equities research analysts have recently issued reports on WAL shares. National Alliance Securities reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Western Alliance Bancorporation in a research report on Friday. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods boosted their price target on shares of Western Alliance Bancorporation from $98.00 to $101.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 28th. Citigroup reduced their price target on shares of Western Alliance Bancorporation from $107.00 to $103.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Monday. UBS Group set a $93.00 price objective on shares of Western Alliance Bancorporation and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company raised shares of Western Alliance Bancorporation from an “underweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and lowered their price objective for the stock from $83.00 to $79.00 in a research report on Monday.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Western Alliance Bancorporation

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Norges Bank bought a new position in Western Alliance Bancorporation during the second quarter valued at $137,289,000. Barrow Hanley Mewhinney & Strauss LLC raised its stake in shares of Western Alliance Bancorporation by 36.5% in the third quarter. Barrow Hanley Mewhinney & Strauss LLC now owns 5,979,916 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $518,578,000 after buying an additional 1,599,537 shares during the period. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD raised its stake in shares of Western Alliance Bancorporation by 9.8% in the fourth quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 8,746,867 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $735,350,000 after buying an additional 777,369 shares during the period. AQR Capital Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Western Alliance Bancorporation by 2,331.6% during the 4th quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 485,508 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $40,817,000 after buying an additional 465,541 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Perpetual Ltd bought a new position in shares of Western Alliance Bancorporation during the 3rd quarter worth $31,072,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 79.15% of the company’s stock.

Western Alliance Bancorporation Stock Performance

WAL stock opened at $72.18 on Wednesday. The firm has a market cap of $7.93 billion, a PE ratio of 8.27, a P/E/G ratio of 0.63 and a beta of 1.34. The company has a quick ratio of 0.80, a current ratio of 0.85 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.83. The business has a 50 day moving average of $88.10 and a 200-day moving average of $85.13. Western Alliance Bancorporation has a 12-month low of $57.05 and a 12-month high of $97.23.

Western Alliance Bancorporation (NYSE:WAL) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, January 27th. The financial services provider reported $2.59 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.40 by $0.19. Western Alliance Bancorporation had a return on equity of 13.33% and a net margin of 18.04%.The business had revenue of $890.80 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $912.69 million. During the same period last year, the company posted $1.95 earnings per share. Western Alliance Bancorporation’s quarterly revenue was up 17.0% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Western Alliance Bancorporation will post 9.05 earnings per share for the current year.

Western Alliance Bancorporation Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 6th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 20th were paid a dividend of $0.42 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 20th. This represents a $1.68 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.3%. Western Alliance Bancorporation’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 19.24%.

Western Alliance Bancorporation News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Western Alliance Bancorporation this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Wells Fargo upgraded WAL from “underweight” to “equal weight,” which reduces short-term selling pressure compared with a downgrade; the firm set a $79 target (lower than before). Wells Fargo upgrade article
• Neutral Sentiment: Citigroup trimmed its price target from $107 to $103 but kept a “buy” rating, signaling continued fundamental confidence despite reduced upside. Citigroup price target cut
• Neutral Sentiment: DA Davidson lowered its target from $105 to $93 and maintained a “buy” rating — another sign analysts still see upside but are revising expectations downward. DA Davidson price target cut
• Negative Sentiment: TD Cowen downgraded WAL from “buy” to “hold” and set an $83 target, removing a prior bullish endorsement and likely contributing to selling. TD Cowen downgrade article
• Negative Sentiment: Jefferies published a public letter disputing Western Alliance’s statements and outlining facts about loans to First Brands, escalating a legal/credit dispute that increases uncertainty around asset quality and reputational risk. This release is probably the largest single negative catalyst for investor concern today. Jefferies disclosure

About Western Alliance Bancorporation

Western Alliance Bancorporation is a bank holding company headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona. Through its principal subsidiary, Western Alliance Bank, the company provides a range of banking services to commercial clients, entrepreneurs and real estate developers. As one of the largest regional banks in the western United States, it focuses on relationship-driven banking solutions tailored to niche industries and growing businesses.

The company’s core offerings include deposit products, treasury management and a variety of lending services.