Washington Trust Bancorp (NASDAQ:WASH) Hits New 12-Month High – Should You Buy?

Washington Trust Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ:WASH) shares reached a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Wednesday . The stock traded as high as $39.85 and last traded at $39.28, with a volume of 483430 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $36.32.

Trending Headlines about Washington Trust Bancorp

Here are the key news stories impacting Washington Trust Bancorp this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Washington Trust posted second-quarter EPS of $0.83, beating the $0.76 consensus estimate, while revenue of $60.47 million also came in ahead of expectations. Washington Trust Reports Second Quarter 2026 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Net income rose to $16.0 million, or $0.83 per diluted share, up from the prior quarter, signaling improved profitability. Washington Trust Reports Second Quarter 2026 Results
• Positive Sentiment: The bank expects 2.80% net interest margin in Q4 2026 and mid-single-digit loan growth, with institutional banking helping drive momentum. Washington Trust expects 2.80% NIM in Q4 2026 as institutional banking drives mid-single-digit loan growth
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage around the results highlighted solid quarterly performance and growth in institutional banking and digital initiatives, but did not add materially new fundamentals beyond the earnings beat. Washington Trust Bancorp Delivers Strong Q2 Results, Drives Growth in Institutional Banking and Digital Innovation
• Neutral Sentiment: Additional earnings recaps from Yahoo Finance, MSN, and Zacks reiterated that results topped estimates, reinforcing the positive reaction in WASH. Washington Trust: Q2 Earnings Snapshot

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have weighed in on the company. Piper Sandler raised their price target on Washington Trust Bancorp from $32.00 to $35.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, June 26th. Zacks Research downgraded Washington Trust Bancorp from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Washington Trust Bancorp from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a research note on Friday, June 5th. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Washington Trust Bancorp from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Sunday, July 12th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $34.50.

Washington Trust Bancorp Trading Up 8.1%

The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $34.47 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $33.52. The stock has a market cap of $749.07 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.64, a P/E/G ratio of 0.88 and a beta of 0.72. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.09, a current ratio of 0.99 and a quick ratio of 0.98.

Washington Trust Bancorp (NASDAQ:WASH) last released its quarterly earnings data on Monday, July 20th. The financial services provider reported $0.83 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.77 by $0.06. Washington Trust Bancorp had a return on equity of 10.24% and a net margin of 14.50%.The firm had revenue of $60.47 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $59.91 million. Equities analysts forecast that Washington Trust Bancorp, Inc. will post 3.07 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Washington Trust Bancorp Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, July 10th. Investors of record on Wednesday, July 1st were paid a $0.56 dividend. This represents a $2.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.7%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, July 1st. Washington Trust Bancorp’s dividend payout ratio is 82.05%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CFO Ronald S. Ohsberg acquired 1,606 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, April 24th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $31.00 per share, for a total transaction of $49,786.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the chief financial officer directly owned 29,705 shares in the company, valued at approximately $920,855. This trade represents a 5.72% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, EVP Rolando A. Lora sold 885 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, April 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $31.55, for a total transaction of $27,921.75. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 11,292 shares in the company, valued at $356,262.60. The trade was a 7.27% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have acquired a total of 36,801 shares of company stock worth $1,147,293 in the last quarter. Insiders own 1.30% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Washington Trust Bancorp

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Federated Hermes Inc. increased its position in Washington Trust Bancorp by 24.6% during the second quarter. Federated Hermes Inc. now owns 2,130 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $60,000 after acquiring an additional 420 shares during the period. Signaturefd LLC boosted its holdings in Washington Trust Bancorp by 14.0% in the 4th quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 3,911 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $116,000 after purchasing an additional 481 shares during the period. BNP Paribas Financial Markets boosted its holdings in Washington Trust Bancorp by 11.7% in the 3rd quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 5,030 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $145,000 after purchasing an additional 526 shares during the period. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of Washington Trust Bancorp by 114.6% during the 4th quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,015 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 542 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Brown Lisle Cummings Inc. grew its position in shares of Washington Trust Bancorp by 1.3% during the 1st quarter. Brown Lisle Cummings Inc. now owns 47,098 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $1,576,000 after purchasing an additional 620 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 65.81% of the company’s stock.

Washington Trust Bancorp Company Profile

Washington Trust Bancorp, Inc is the bank holding company for The Washington Trust Company, a community bank headquartered in Westerly, Rhode Island. Through its subsidiary, the company operates a network of branch offices across Rhode Island and southeastern Connecticut, serving individuals, small businesses and municipalities with a full suite of financial services.

The company’s core business activities encompass retail and commercial banking, including checking and savings accounts, consumer and commercial loans, mortgage financing, and cash management solutions.