Bankwell Financial Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:BWFG) Short Interest Update

Bankwell Financial Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:BWFG) saw a significant increase in short interest in the month of March. As of March 13th, there was short interest totaling 202,175 shares, an increase of 22.3% from the February 26th total of 165,275 shares. Approximately 3.1% of the shares of the company are sold short. Based on an average trading volume of 33,514 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 6.0 days.

Bankwell Financial Group Stock Performance

Bankwell Financial Group stock opened at $47.49 on Monday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.06, a current ratio of 1.06 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60. The stock has a market cap of $378.83 million, a PE ratio of 10.70 and a beta of 0.67. Bankwell Financial Group has a 12-month low of $26.39 and a 12-month high of $51.54. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $47.93 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $46.31.

Bankwell Financial Group (NASDAQ:BWFG) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, January 29th. The bank reported $1.36 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.20 by $0.16. The firm had revenue of $30.32 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $28.06 million. Bankwell Financial Group had a net margin of 16.94% and a return on equity of 12.21%.

Bankwell Financial Group Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 20th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, February 10th were paid a dividend of $0.20 per share. This represents a $0.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, February 10th. Bankwell Financial Group’s payout ratio is presently 18.02%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Bankwell Financial Group in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upped their price objective on shares of Bankwell Financial Group from $53.00 to $55.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. Hovde Group raised their target price on shares of Bankwell Financial Group from $48.00 to $49.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a report on Monday, February 2nd. Finally, Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Bankwell Financial Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, March 7th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $52.00.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CEO Christopher R. Gruseke sold 5,056 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $49.79, for a total value of $251,738.24. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 172,147 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,571,199.13. This represents a 2.85% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director Lawrence B. Seidman acquired 10,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 12th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $46.88 per share, with a total value of $468,800.00. Following the purchase, the director directly owned 216,904 shares in the company, valued at approximately $10,168,459.52. This represents a 4.83% increase in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. In the last 90 days, insiders have purchased 26,816 shares of company stock valued at $1,256,874 and have sold 11,897 shares valued at $592,523. Insiders own 19.48% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Bankwell Financial Group

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of BWFG. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its holdings in Bankwell Financial Group by 3.9% in the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 366,963 shares of the bank’s stock worth $16,238,000 after purchasing an additional 13,823 shares in the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP increased its stake in shares of Bankwell Financial Group by 0.4% in the fourth quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 314,446 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $14,409,000 after buying an additional 1,252 shares during the period. Fourthstone LLC raised its holdings in Bankwell Financial Group by 60.2% in the 2nd quarter. Fourthstone LLC now owns 266,865 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $9,615,000 after buying an additional 100,302 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its position in Bankwell Financial Group by 5.4% during the 2nd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 159,384 shares of the bank’s stock worth $5,744,000 after buying an additional 8,178 shares during the period. Finally, Siena Capital Partners GP LLC grew its holdings in Bankwell Financial Group by 5.3% during the 3rd quarter. Siena Capital Partners GP LLC now owns 116,138 shares of the bank’s stock worth $5,139,000 after acquiring an additional 5,800 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 35.80% of the company’s stock.

Bankwell Financial Group Company Profile

Bankwell Financial Group, Inc is a bank holding company headquartered in Westchester, Illinois, and serves as the parent of Bankwell Bank. Through its subsidiary, the company provides a full suite of banking products and services designed for both individual consumers and small‐ to mid‐sized businesses. Bankwell Bank operates multiple branches across suburban Cook and Lake counties, focusing on personalized service and local decision‐making.

The company’s deposit offerings include checking, savings and money market accounts, as well as certificates of deposit, all supported by an online and mobile banking platform for convenient account access.