Wall Street Zen Upgrades Waterstone Financial (NASDAQ:WSBF) to “Buy”

Waterstone Financial (NASDAQ:WSBF) was upgraded by stock analysts at Wall Street Zen from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report issued on Saturday.

Separately, Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Waterstone Financial in a research note on Monday, December 29th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Buy”.

Waterstone Financial Price Performance

NASDAQ WSBF opened at $17.46 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $320.57 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.72 and a beta of 0.81. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.18, a current ratio of 1.30 and a quick ratio of 1.20. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $17.63 and its 200 day moving average price is $16.23. Waterstone Financial has a 1 year low of $11.61 and a 1 year high of $18.88.

Waterstone Financial (NASDAQ:WSBF) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 28th. The savings and loans company reported $0.44 EPS for the quarter. The company had revenue of $37.17 million during the quarter. Waterstone Financial had a return on equity of 7.67% and a net margin of 13.12%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Waterstone Financial

In other Waterstone Financial news, Director Patrick S. Lawton sold 19,255 shares of Waterstone Financial stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $18.64, for a total transaction of $358,913.20. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Douglas S. Gordon sold 2,880 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $18.11, for a total value of $52,156.80. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 556,773 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $10,083,159.03. This trade represents a 0.51% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 106,780 shares of company stock valued at $1,967,486. 8.30% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Waterstone Financial

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC raised its position in Waterstone Financial by 557.9% during the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,875 shares of the savings and loans company’s stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 1,590 shares in the last quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC purchased a new stake in Waterstone Financial in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $30,000. Raymond James Financial Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Waterstone Financial during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $28,000. Simplex Trading LLC increased its holdings in shares of Waterstone Financial by 69.3% during the 4th quarter. Simplex Trading LLC now owns 2,306 shares of the savings and loans company’s stock valued at $38,000 after purchasing an additional 944 shares in the last quarter. Finally, SG Americas Securities LLC purchased a new position in shares of Waterstone Financial during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $126,000. 62.71% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.