Zacks Research Weighs in on WaFd’s Q2 Earnings (NASDAQ:WAFD)

WaFd, Inc (NASDAQ:WAFD) – Analysts at Zacks Research reduced their Q2 2026 EPS estimates for shares of WaFd in a research report issued to clients and investors on Wednesday, December 18th. Zacks Research analyst S. Shah now forecasts that the bank will post earnings of $0.81 per share for the quarter, down from their previous forecast of $0.82. The consensus estimate for WaFd’s current full-year earnings is $2.82 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for WaFd’s Q4 2026 earnings at $0.82 EPS, FY2026 earnings at $3.22 EPS and FY2027 earnings at $3.34 EPS.

WaFd (NASDAQ:WAFD) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 17th. The bank reported $0.71 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.70 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $389.98 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $190.43 million. WaFd had a net margin of 13.97% and a return on equity of 9.44%. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.72 earnings per share.

Other research analysts have also issued reports about the company. DA Davidson raised their price objective on WaFd from $39.00 to $41.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, October 21st. StockNews.com upgraded WaFd from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 12th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reaffirmed a “market perform” rating and set a $40.00 price target on shares of WaFd in a research report on Monday, October 21st. Finally, Piper Sandler lowered their price target on WaFd from $36.00 to $35.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Monday, October 21st. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and one has given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $38.00.

WaFd Price Performance

WAFD stock opened at $32.64 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.08, a quick ratio of 1.08 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.21. WaFd has a 12-month low of $25.78 and a 12-month high of $38.62. The company has a market cap of $2.66 billion, a PE ratio of 13.16 and a beta of 0.84. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $35.62 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $33.63.

WaFd Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 6th. Investors of record on Friday, November 22nd were paid a dividend of $0.26 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, November 22nd. This represents a $1.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.19%. WaFd’s dividend payout ratio is presently 41.94%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Ryan Mauer sold 12,132 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $33.33, for a total value of $404,359.56. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 100,376 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,345,532.08. This trade represents a 10.78 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 2.25% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On WaFd

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Blue Trust Inc. increased its position in WaFd by 80.8% in the 3rd quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 1,188 shares of the bank’s stock worth $41,000 after buying an additional 531 shares during the period. McIlrath & Eck LLC increased its position in shares of WaFd by 112.7% during the 3rd quarter. McIlrath & Eck LLC now owns 1,323 shares of the bank’s stock worth $46,000 after purchasing an additional 701 shares in the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC raised its position in WaFd by 515.8% in the 3rd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,558 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $54,000 after purchasing an additional 1,305 shares during the last quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. grew its holdings in WaFd by 100.0% during the 2nd quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 1,644 shares of the bank’s stock worth $47,000 after acquiring an additional 822 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Covestor Ltd raised its position in shares of WaFd by 60.1% during the third quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 1,904 shares of the bank’s stock worth $66,000 after acquiring an additional 715 shares during the last quarter. 83.71% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About WaFd

WaFd, Inc operates as the bank holding company for Washington Federal Bank that provides lending, depository, insurance, and other banking services in the United States. The company offers deposit products, including business and personal checking accounts, and term certificates of deposit, as well as money market accounts and passbook savings accounts.