Key Points
- Insider selling: Director Matt McNeill sold 3,794 shares on Feb. 9 for $189,055 (about $49.83/share), and several other executives (CEO, EVP, CFO) also sold sizable stakes the same day, a move that could pressure near-term sentiment.
- Mixed results but steady support: Q4 revenue topped estimates ($30.32M vs. $28.06M) while EPS missed ($1.15 vs. $1.20); the company declared a $0.20 quarterly dividend (1.7% yield) and analysts lifted targets (Keefe to $55), leaving a "Moderate Buy" consensus with an average $52 price target.
Bankwell Financial Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:BWFG - Get Free Report) insider Matt Mcneill sold 3,794 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $49.83, for a total value of $189,055.02. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 45,019 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,243,296.77. The trade was a 7.77% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website.
Bankwell Financial Group Price Performance
Shares of BWFG opened at $48.07 on Thursday. The company has a market cap of $378.65 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.83 and a beta of 0.70. Bankwell Financial Group, Inc. has a 1-year low of $26.39 and a 1-year high of $51.54. The company's fifty day simple moving average is $48.03 and its 200 day simple moving average is $44.84. The company has a current ratio of 1.07, a quick ratio of 1.07 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.49.
Bankwell Financial Group (NASDAQ:BWFG - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 29th. The bank reported $1.15 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $1.20 by ($0.05). Bankwell Financial Group had a net margin of 16.94% and a return on equity of 12.40%. The firm had revenue of $30.32 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $28.06 million.
Bankwell Financial Group Announces Dividend
The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 20th. Investors of record on Tuesday, February 10th will be issued a dividend of $0.20 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, February 10th. This represents a $0.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.7%. Bankwell Financial Group's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 18.02%.
Institutional Trading of Bankwell Financial Group
Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in BWFG. Ameritas Investment Partners Inc. boosted its position in shares of Bankwell Financial Group by 70.7% in the second quarter. Ameritas Investment Partners Inc. now owns 722 shares of the bank's stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 299 shares during the period. Russell Investments Group Ltd. increased its position in Bankwell Financial Group by 585.0% during the third quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 685 shares of the bank's stock worth $30,000 after acquiring an additional 585 shares during the period. BNP Paribas Financial Markets raised its stake in Bankwell Financial Group by 38.8% in the 2nd quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 1,124 shares of the bank's stock worth $40,000 after purchasing an additional 314 shares in the last quarter. CWM LLC raised its stake in Bankwell Financial Group by 71.8% in the 3rd quarter. CWM LLC now owns 1,041 shares of the bank's stock worth $46,000 after purchasing an additional 435 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Police & Firemen s Retirement System of New Jersey bought a new stake in Bankwell Financial Group in the 2nd quarter valued at about $50,000. 35.80% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.
Analysts Set New Price Targets
Several research analysts have recently commented on the company. Weiss Ratings reiterated a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Bankwell Financial Group in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised their price target on Bankwell Financial Group from $53.00 to $55.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Monday, February 2nd. Finally, Hovde Group upped their price objective 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. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $52.00.
Check Out Our Latest Analysis on BWFG
Bankwell Financial Group News Summary
Here are the key news stories impacting Bankwell Financial Group this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Analyst support lifted price targets and kept a generally constructive view (Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised its target to $55; Hovde and Weiss maintained/raised views), which reduces downside risk from analyst coverage. Analyst Ratings and Price Targets
- Neutral Sentiment: Dividend confirmed (quarterly $0.20; ex-dividend Feb 10, pay Feb 20) — steady income but small yield (~1.6%), so it's supportive but not a major catalyst. Dividend Announcement
- Neutral Sentiment: Recent quarterly results were mixed: revenue topped estimates ($30.32M vs. $28.06M) but EPS missed modestly ($1.15 vs. $1.20). That combination often produces muted, mixed reactions. Earnings Recap
- Neutral Sentiment: Technical note: a recent write-up flagged shares crossing above the 50-day moving average — a short-term bullish signal for some traders, but the piece framed it as “time to sell,” so short-term positioning could be mixed. Technical Coverage
- Neutral Sentiment: Short-interest reporting in the filings shows effectively zero reported short interest (likely data/rounding artifacts), so short squeezes or heavy short pressure do not appear to be a driver. (No actionable short-interest signal.)
- Negative Sentiment: Concentrated insider selling on Feb. 9 — several executives reduced positions in sizable dollar terms, which is pressuring sentiment: CEO Christopher Gruseke sold 5,056 shares (~$251.7K). CEO SEC Filing EVP Christine Chivily sold 1,985 shares (~$98.9K). EVP SEC Filing CFO Courtney Sacchetti sold 1,062 shares (~$52.9K). CFO SEC Filing Director/insider Matt Mcneill also sold 3,794 shares (~$189K). Insider SEC Filing Collective insider selling of this size often weighs on intraday sentiment and can drive downward pressure despite otherwise supportive fundamentals.
About Bankwell Financial Group
(
Get Free Report)
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.
Further Reading
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