Waterstone Financial (NASDAQ:WSBF) Director Sells $341,567.00 in Stock

Waterstone Financial, Inc. (NASDAQ:WSBF) Director Douglas Gordon sold 18,716 shares of Waterstone Financial stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $18.25, for a total transaction of $341,567.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 566,418 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $10,337,128.50. The trade was a 3.20% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website.

Waterstone Financial Stock Down 1.4%

NASDAQ:WSBF opened at $18.05 on Monday. Waterstone Financial, Inc. has a 52 week low of $11.61 and a 52 week high of $18.88. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $17.07 and its 200-day moving average price is $15.65. The stock has a market capitalization of $333.20 million, a PE ratio of 13.57 and a beta of 0.81.

Waterstone Financial (NASDAQ:WSBF) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 28th. The savings and loans company reported $0.44 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. The company had revenue of $37.17 million for the quarter. Waterstone Financial had a return on equity of 6.99% and a net margin of 12.08%.

Waterstone Financial Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, February 2nd. Shareholders of record on Thursday, January 8th were given a dividend of $0.15 per share. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, January 8th. This represents a $0.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.3%. Waterstone Financial’s dividend payout ratio is currently 45.11%.

Institutional Trading of Waterstone Financial

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. AQR Capital Management LLC grew its position in shares of Waterstone Financial by 16.7% in the first quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 45,595 shares of the savings and loans company’s stock valued at $613,000 after purchasing an additional 6,512 shares in the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC boosted its holdings in Waterstone Financial by 7.5% in the 1st quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 83,591 shares of the savings and loans company’s stock valued at $1,124,000 after purchasing an additional 5,818 shares during the last quarter. Jane Street Group LLC increased its holdings in shares of Waterstone Financial by 29.8% during the 1st quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 25,843 shares of the savings and loans company’s stock worth $348,000 after buying an additional 5,928 shares during the last quarter. Ritholtz Wealth Management acquired a new position in Waterstone Financial in the second quarter valued at approximately $149,000. Finally, Los Angeles Capital Management LLC increased its stake in Waterstone Financial by 7.7% during the second quarter. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC now owns 15,840 shares of the savings and loans company’s stock worth $219,000 after acquiring an additional 1,135 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 62.71% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts recently weighed in on WSBF shares. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Waterstone Financial in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Wall Street Zen cut Waterstone Financial from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Sunday, December 14th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Buy”.

More Waterstone Financial News

Here are the key news stories impacting Waterstone Financial this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Company paid its quarterly dividend ($0.15; $0.60 annualized, ~3.2–3.3% yield) on Feb. 2, supporting income-oriented holders. MarketBeat WSBF
• Positive Sentiment: Latest quarterly results (announced Jan. 28) show $0.44 EPS and $37.17M revenue with a net margin ~12% — evidence of profitable operations that can undercut panic selling. MarketBeat WSBF
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst coverage is mixed: Weiss Ratings recently reiterated a buy, while others have trimmed to hold — consensus leans modestly positive but not unanimous. Analyst Notes
• Neutral Sentiment: Institutional investors own ~62.7% of shares, which can stabilize trading even when insiders sell significant blocks. Institutional Holdings
• Negative Sentiment: Director Douglas S. Gordon sold 18,716 shares on Feb. 5 at an average $18.25 (SEC filing). The sale reduced his stake by ~3.2%. SEC Filing
• Negative Sentiment: Douglas S. Gordon also sold 15,000 shares on Feb. 4 at ~$18.55, trimming his position further. SEC Filing
• Negative Sentiment: Director Patrick S. Lawton executed multiple sales: 30,000 shares on Feb. 3 at $18.53 and another 19,255 shares reported on Feb. 4 at $18.64 — a large reduction (60.9% cut noted after the 30k sale). SEC Filing
• Negative Sentiment: EVP Julie Ann Glynn sold 20,929 shares on Feb. 2 at ~$18.19, leaving her with a materially smaller holding (reported ~70% reduction). SEC Filing

Waterstone Financial Company Profile

Waterstone Financial, Inc is a bank holding company based in Glendale, Wisconsin, that provides a broad range of financial services to individuals, businesses and institutions. Its primary operations are conducted through its wholly owned subsidiary, Waterstone Bank, which offers deposit products, loan facilities and treasury management services. The company focuses on delivering relationship-based banking solutions tailored to the needs of small and medium-sized enterprises as well as retail customers.

In addition to traditional commercial and consumer banking, Waterstone Financial supports its clients with specialized financing, including real estate, equipment and asset-based lending.