First Western Financial (NASDAQ:MYFW) Upgraded at Zacks Research

Zacks Research upgraded shares of First Western Financial (NASDAQ:MYFW) from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating in a research report report published on Monday morning,Zacks.com reports.

Other analysts also recently issued reports about the stock. Wall Street Zen raised shares of First Western Financial from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Sunday, November 9th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c)” rating on shares of First Western Financial in a report on Monday, December 29th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have given a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $24.33.

First Western Financial Stock Performance

First Western Financial stock opened at $27.27 on Monday. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $25.29 and its 200 day moving average is $23.69. The company has a market capitalization of $264.79 million, a P/E ratio of 21.14 and a beta of 0.77. First Western Financial has a twelve month low of $17.52 and a twelve month high of $28.00. The company has a quick ratio of 1.03, a current ratio of 1.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.37.

First Western Financial (NASDAQ:MYFW) last released its earnings results on Thursday, October 23rd. The company reported $0.32 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.38 by ($0.06). First Western Financial had a return on equity of 4.91% and a net margin of 6.91%.The company had revenue of $26.27 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $25.61 million. On average, equities research analysts predict that First Western Financial will post 1.5 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at First Western Financial

In other First Western Financial news, CEO Scott C. Wylie sold 16,171 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, December 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $25.72, for a total transaction of $415,918.12. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 756,482 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $19,456,717.04. This represents a 2.09% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Company insiders own 15.50% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of First Western Financial

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Permanent Capital Management LP bought a new stake in shares of First Western Financial during the 4th quarter valued at $563,000. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised its stake in First Western Financial by 26.8% during the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 7,350 shares of the company’s stock valued at $169,000 after purchasing an additional 1,555 shares during the period. PMC FIG Opportunities LLC lifted its holdings in First Western Financial by 77.0% in the 3rd quarter. PMC FIG Opportunities LLC now owns 120,111 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,766,000 after purchasing an additional 52,234 shares in the last quarter. North Reef Capital Management LP raised its position in shares of First Western Financial by 13.2% during the third quarter. North Reef Capital Management LP now owns 617,824 shares of the company’s stock valued at $14,225,000 after buying an additional 72,102 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Focus Partners Wealth bought a new stake in shares of First Western Financial during the third quarter valued at approximately $49,000. 60.26% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About First Western Financial

First Western Financial, Inc (NASDAQ: MYFW) is a Denver-based bank holding company that, through its principal subsidiary First Western Trust, delivers a suite of personalized financial services. The company’s core activities center on wealth management and trust administration for high-net-worth individuals, families and institutions. In addition, First Western Financial offers a comprehensive range of deposit products—such as checking accounts, savings accounts, money market funds and certificates of deposit—designed to meet the liquidity and income needs of its clients.

Complementing its deposit offerings, First Western Financial provides fiduciary and investment management services, including estate planning, charitable giving strategies and multi-generational wealth transfer.