Bankwell Financial Group (NASDAQ:BWFG) Stock Price Crosses Above Fifty Day Moving Average – Should You Sell?

Bankwell Financial Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:BWFG) shares passed above its fifty day moving average during trading on Monday . The stock has a fifty day moving average of $47.89 and traded as high as $49.19. Bankwell Financial Group shares last traded at $47.41, with a volume of 31,398 shares changing hands.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have weighed in on BWFG shares. Hovde Group increased their price target 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. Wall Street Zen downgraded Bankwell Financial Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, March 7th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods increased their target price on Bankwell Financial Group from $53.00 to $55.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Bankwell Financial Group in a report on Monday, December 29th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $52.00.

Bankwell Financial Group Trading Up 2.0%

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60, a current ratio of 1.06 and a quick ratio of 1.06. The business’s 50-day moving average is $47.89 and its 200 day moving average is $46.20. The firm has a market capitalization of $378.19 million, a P/E ratio of 10.68 and a beta of 0.67.

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

Bankwell Financial Group Dividend Announcement

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

Insider Buying and Selling at Bankwell Financial Group

In related news, Director Eric J. Dale bought 612 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, March 6th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $46.00 per share, for a total transaction of $28,152.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 41,908 shares in the company, valued at $1,927,768. The trade was a 1.48% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director Lawrence B. Seidman bought 10,000 shares of Bankwell Financial Group stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 12th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $46.88 per share, for a total transaction of $468,800.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director owned 216,904 shares in the company, valued at $10,168,459.52. This represents a 4.83% increase in their position. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Over the last ninety days, insiders have acquired 26,816 shares of company stock valued at $1,256,874 and have sold 11,897 shares valued at $592,523. 19.48% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Fourthstone LLC grew its stake in Bankwell Financial Group by 60.2% during the second quarter. Fourthstone LLC now owns 266,865 shares of the bank’s stock worth $9,615,000 after buying an additional 100,302 shares in the last quarter. Hillsdale Investment Management Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Bankwell Financial Group in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $4,280,000. Nuveen LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Bankwell Financial Group by 73.6% during the 4th quarter. Nuveen LLC now owns 42,776 shares of the bank’s stock worth $1,960,000 after acquiring an additional 18,130 shares during the period. Focus Partners Wealth bought a new stake in shares of Bankwell Financial Group during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $759,000. Finally, Two Sigma Investments LP acquired a new stake in shares of Bankwell Financial Group during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $695,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 35.80% of the company’s stock.

About Bankwell Financial Group

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.