Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. Has $14.31 Million Position in Westamerica Bancorporation (NASDAQ:WABC)

Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. reduced its stake in shares of Westamerica Bancorporation (NASDAQ:WABC) by 18.4% in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 272,825 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after selling 61,472 shares during the quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc.’s holdings in Westamerica Bancorporation were worth $14,312,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the stock. Golden State Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in Westamerica Bancorporation during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $65,000. KBC Group NV raised its position in Westamerica Bancorporation by 71.4% during the fourth quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 1,974 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $104,000 after acquiring an additional 822 shares in the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC raised its position in Westamerica Bancorporation by 14.1% during the fourth quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 2,166 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $114,000 after acquiring an additional 268 shares in the last quarter. Mutual of America Capital Management LLC bought a new position in Westamerica Bancorporation during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $212,000. Finally, Hennion & Walsh Asset Management Inc. bought a new position in Westamerica Bancorporation during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $245,000. 81.89% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Westamerica Bancorporation Price Performance

Shares of WABC opened at $51.39 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $1.37 billion, a PE ratio of 9.88 and a beta of 0.55. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $50.86 and its 200 day moving average price is $52.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.15, a quick ratio of 0.26 and a current ratio of 0.27. Westamerica Bancorporation has a twelve month low of $45.11 and a twelve month high of $59.97.

Westamerica Bancorporation (NASDAQ:WABC) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 16th. The financial services provider reported $1.19 earnings per share for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $1.19. Westamerica Bancorporation had a net margin of 44.55% and a return on equity of 16.15%. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.48 EPS. As a group, research analysts expect that Westamerica Bancorporation will post 4.35 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Westamerica Bancorporation Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 14th. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 3rd were given a $0.44 dividend. This represents a $1.76 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.42%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, February 3rd. Westamerica Bancorporation’s dividend payout ratio is 33.85%.

Westamerica Bancorporation Profile

Westamerica Bancorporation operates as a bank holding company for the Westamerica Bank that provides various banking products and services to individual and commercial customers. The company accepts various deposit products, including retail savings and checking accounts, as well as certificates of deposit.