Key Points
- Insider sale: EVP Cathy E. Cooper sold 5,300 shares at an average price of $33.77 on Feb. 6, reducing her stake by 5.3% to 94,755 shares worth about $3.2 million.
- Dividend announced: WaFd declared a quarterly dividend of $0.27 per share (ex-dividend Feb. 13, payable Feb. 27), equal to $1.08 annually and a roughly 3.2% yield.
- Earnings and outlook: The bank slightly missed quarterly estimates (EPS $0.75 vs. $0.76 and revenue $188.3M vs. $193.4M), trades at a P/E of 11.66 with a $2.56B market cap, and carries a consensus analyst rating of "Hold" with a $32.90 price target amid mixed forecast revisions.
WaFd, Inc. (NASDAQ:WAFD - Get Free Report) EVP Cathy Cooper sold 5,300 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $33.77, for a total value of $178,981.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 94,755 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $3,199,876.35. This represents a 5.30% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website.
WaFd Stock Up 0.4%
Shares of NASDAQ:WAFD opened at $33.71 on Friday. The firm's 50 day moving average price is $32.71 and its 200 day moving average price is $31.19. The stock has a market cap of $2.56 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.66 and a beta of 0.86. WaFd, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $23.75 and a fifty-two week high of $34.29. The company has a quick ratio of 0.96, a current ratio of 0.95 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.89.
WaFd (NASDAQ:WAFD - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Friday, January 16th. The bank reported $0.75 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.76 by ($0.01). WaFd had a return on equity of 8.67% and a net margin of 17.45%.The firm had revenue of $188.32 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $193.36 million. As a group, equities research analysts predict that WaFd, Inc. will post 2.56 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
WaFd Announces Dividend
The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 27th. Investors of record on Friday, February 13th will be paid a dividend of $0.27 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 13th. This represents a $1.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.2%. WaFd's payout ratio is presently 37.37%.
Institutional Inflows and Outflows
Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership purchased a new stake in WaFd in the second quarter valued at approximately $7,666,000. Ameriprise Financial Inc. increased its holdings in shares of WaFd by 11.8% in the 3rd quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 1,375,110 shares of the bank's stock valued at $41,652,000 after acquiring an additional 145,646 shares during the period. Millennium Management LLC raised its position in WaFd by 1,533.5% in the 3rd quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 146,578 shares of the bank's stock valued at $4,440,000 after purchasing an additional 137,605 shares during the last quarter. William Blair Investment Management LLC raised its position in WaFd by 14.3% in the 3rd quarter. William Blair Investment Management LLC now owns 1,100,312 shares of the bank's stock valued at $33,328,000 after purchasing an additional 137,525 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Citadel Advisors LLC boosted its stake in WaFd by 206.4% during the 3rd quarter. Citadel Advisors LLC now owns 179,650 shares of the bank's stock worth $5,442,000 after purchasing an additional 121,009 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 83.71% of the company's stock.
WaFd News Summary
Here are the key news stories impacting WaFd this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Zacks raised its FY2026 EPS forecast to $3.03 (from $2.97) and bumped several 2026 quarterly estimates (Q2, Q3, Q4 2026), signaling stronger near‑term earnings prospects that support higher valuation today. MarketBeat Report
- Positive Sentiment: Zacks increased specific quarter forecasts: Q2 2026 to $0.73, Q3 2026 to $0.76 and Q4 2026 to $0.79 (all modest upgrades) and lifted Q1 2027 to $0.81 — these near‑term beats can boost short‑term sentiment. MarketBeat Report
- Neutral Sentiment: Zacks published a comprehensive set of updated line‑by‑line estimates (multiple quarters and year views). The consensus full‑year figure cited in coverage remains $2.56, so some estimates differ from consensus but the update itself is informational. MarketBeat Report
- Negative Sentiment: Zacks trimmed FY2027 EPS to $3.21 (from $3.27) and lowered several 2027 quarterly estimates (including Q3 2027 and Q4 2027), indicating some pressure on longer‑term growth expectations — this tempers the positive near‑term revisions. MarketBeat Report
- Negative Sentiment: Insider sale: EVP Cathy E. Cooper sold 5,300 shares at an average $33.77 on Feb. 6 (disclosed via SEC filing). Insider selling often raises caution among investors even though the EVP retains a large position. SEC Filing
Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades
A number of analysts have issued reports on the company. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lifted their price target on WaFd from $31.00 to $34.00 and gave the stock a "market perform" rating in a report on Tuesday, January 20th. Wall Street Zen lowered WaFd from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research report on Saturday, January 31st. Piper Sandler decreased their target price on WaFd from $33.50 to $30.50 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, January 20th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a "hold (c+)" rating on shares of WaFd in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada set a $34.00 price objective on shares of WaFd in a report on Tuesday, January 20th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating, According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $32.90.
Get Our Latest Stock Analysis on WaFd
WaFd Company Profile
(
Get Free Report)
Washington Federal, Inc, doing business as WaFd Bank, is a publicly traded bank holding company headquartered in Seattle, Washington. Through its subsidiary, WaFd Bank, the company provides a range of banking and financial services to individuals, small-to-medium enterprises, and commercial clients. Established in 1917 as Ballard Savings & Loan in Seattle, the institution expanded over decades to serve customers across the Western United States under the Washington Federal name and has operated as a public company since the early 1980s.
WaFd Bank's core offerings encompass deposit accounts such as checking, savings, money market, and certificates of deposit, alongside consumer and commercial lending products.
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