Westamerica Bancorporation (NASDAQ:WABC) Shares Bought by Principal Financial Group Inc.\n\nPrincipal Financial Group Inc. raised its stake in Westamerica Bancorporation ( - ) by 3.7% in the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 150,220 shares of the financial services provider's stock after acquiring an additional 5,356 shares during the quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. owned approximately 0.56% of Westamerica Bancorporation worth $7,606,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.\n\nA number of other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of WABC. Sterling Capital Management LLC increased its position in shares of Westamerica Bancorporation by 815.6% during the fourth quarter. Sterling Capital Management LLC now owns 824 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $43,000 after purchasing an additional 734 shares in the last quarter. Golden State Wealth Management LLC increased its position in shares of Westamerica Bancorporation by 100.0% during the first quarter. Golden State Wealth Management LLC now owns 2,490 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $126,000 after purchasing an additional 1,245 shares in the last quarter. Two Sigma Securities LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Westamerica Bancorporation during the fourth quarter worth approximately $201,000. Susquehanna Fundamental Investments LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Westamerica Bancorporation during the fourth quarter worth approximately $213,000. Finally, Squarepoint Ops LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Westamerica Bancorporation during the fourth quarter worth approximately $240,000.\n\n81.89% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.\n\nIn other Westamerica Bancorporation news, SVP Robert James Baker, Jr. sold 710 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, April 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $48.16, for a total transaction of $34,193.60. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through . Also, SVP John A. Thorson sold 2,243 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, April 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $48.57, for a total value of $108,942.51. Following the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 11,591 shares of the company's stock, valued at $562,974.87. The trade was a 16.21% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found .\n\nCorporate insiders own 5.30% of the company's stock.\n\nWestamerica Bancorporation Stock Down 1.3% traded down $0.68 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $50.08. 8,069 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 153,015. The company has a 50 day moving average of $49.06 and a two-hundred day moving average of $49.51. Westamerica Bancorporation has a 52-week low of $42.00 and a 52-week high of $59.97. The firm has a market cap of $1.31 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.18 and a beta of 0.64.\n\nWestamerica Bancorporation ( - ) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 17th. The financial services provider reported $1.12 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.11 by $0.01. Westamerica Bancorporation had a return on equity of 14.95% and a net margin of 44.10%. The company had revenue of $64.88 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $65.80 million. On average, equities research analysts predict that Westamerica Bancorporation will post 4.35 EPS for the current year.\n\nWestamerica Bancorporation Increases Dividend The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 16th. Stockholders of record on Monday, May 5th were issued a $0.46 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, May 5th. This represents a $1.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.67%. This is an increase from Westamerica Bancorporation's previous quarterly dividend of $0.44. Westamerica Bancorporation's dividend payout ratio is presently 36.87%.\n\nWall Street Analyst Weigh In A number of equities analysts have weighed in on the company. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lowered their price objective on Westamerica Bancorporation from $58.00 to $55.00 and set a \"market perform\" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, April 21st. Piper Sandler lowered their price objective on Westamerica Bancorporation from $54.00 to $50.00 and set a \"neutral\" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, April 21st. Finally, raised Westamerica Bancorporation from a \"sell\" rating to a \"hold\" rating in a research note on Friday, June 27th.\n\nAbout Westamerica Bancorporation () 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.

Principal Financial Group Inc. Has $7.61 Million Stock Holdings in Westamerica Bancorporation (NASDAQ:WABC)

Principal Financial Group Inc. increased its stake in Westamerica Bancorporation (WABC) to $7.61 million, while other institutional investors and hedge funds also adjusted their positions. The company reported strong quarterly earnings, a dividend increase, and mixed analyst ratings. WABC's stock price fell 1.3%, with key insiders selling shares and analysts adjusting price targets.