Insider Buying: West Bancorporation, Inc. (NASDAQ:WTBA) CEO Buys $14,230.53 in Stock

West Bancorporation, Inc. (NASDAQ:WTBA) CEO David D. Nelson acquired 639 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 19th. The stock was purchased at an average price 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 in the company, valued at $2,780,765.82. The trade was a 0.51 % increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink.

West Bancorporation Stock Up 1.5 %

Shares of NASDAQ WTBA opened at $22.61 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $380.53 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.81 and a beta of 0.97. The company has a quick ratio of 0.95, a current ratio of 0.95 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.86. West Bancorporation, Inc. has a 52-week low of $15.80 and a 52-week high of $24.85. The business’s 50 day moving average is $21.81 and its two-hundred day moving average is $21.12.

West Bancorporation (NASDAQ:WTBA) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, January 23rd. The financial services provider reported $0.42 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.40 by $0.02. West Bancorporation had a return on equity of 10.56% and a net margin of 12.12%. During the same period last year, the business earned $0.27 EPS. Research analysts predict that West Bancorporation, Inc. will post 1.65 EPS for the current year.

West Bancorporation Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, February 19th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, February 5th were paid a $0.25 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, February 5th. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.42%. West Bancorporation’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 69.93%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts have recently weighed in 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 reduced their price target on shares of West Bancorporation from $25.00 to $23.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, January 27th.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On West Bancorporation

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. State Street Corp grew its stake in shares of West Bancorporation by 1.9% in the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 372,033 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $7,072,000 after acquiring an additional 6,809 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its stake in shares of West Bancorporation by 2.1% in the third quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 356,288 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $6,775,000 after acquiring an additional 7,320 shares in the last quarter. Aptus Capital Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of West Bancorporation by 22.4% in the fourth quarter. Aptus Capital Advisors LLC now owns 282,404 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $6,114,000 after acquiring an additional 51,775 shares in the last quarter. Northern Trust Corp grew its stake in shares of West Bancorporation by 2.0% in the fourth quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 134,904 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $2,921,000 after acquiring an additional 2,621 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Bank of New York Mellon Corp grew its stake in shares of West Bancorporation by 17.0% in the fourth quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 125,049 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $2,707,000 after acquiring an additional 18,154 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 44.30% of the company’s stock.

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.