Waterstone Financial, Inc. Sees Significant Drop in Short Interest

Waterstone Financial, Inc. (NASDAQ:WSBF) experienced a notable decline in short interest during the month of October. As of October 15th, short interest stood at 100,600 shares, marking a decrease of 33.2% from the previous total of 150,600 shares reported on September 30th. This indicates that around 0.6% of the company's stock is currently sold short. With an average trading volume of 33,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently at 3.0 days.

Insider Transactions at Waterstone Financial

In additional news regarding Waterstone Financial, Director Ellen Syburg Bartel sold 2,129 shares of company stock on September 3rd, at an average price of $15.01, resulting in a total transaction value of $31,956.29. Following this sale, she retains ownership of 15,000 shares, valued approximately at $225,150, reflecting no change in her overall ownership percentage. This transaction was documented in a legal filing with the SEC.

Moreover, Director Michael L. Hansen sold 5,569 shares on August 28th, at an average price of $15.00, which totaled $83,535. Following this sale, he owns 79,872 shares valued at about $1,198,080, also showing no change in ownership percentage. Over the past three months, insiders have sold a total of 30,459 shares, with corporate insiders holding 8.30% of the stock.

Institutional Investors' Involvement with Waterstone Financial

Recent movements among hedge funds indicate varying interest in Waterstone Financial. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its position by 0.3% in the first quarter, now owning 1,018,828 shares valued at $12,399,000 after purchasing an additional 3,531 shares last quarter. Foundry Partners LLC also expanded its stake by 6.2% in the second quarter, holding 171,860 shares worth $2,198,000 after acquiring an additional 10,000 shares.

Further, American Century Companies Inc. raised its position by 1.4% in the second quarter, which now totals 158,780 shares valued at $2,031,000. Meanwhile, Bank of New York Mellon Corp increased its investment by 4.5% during the same period to own 90,978 shares worth $1,164,000. Empowered Funds LLC also saw an increase in its holdings by 8.1% this quarter, owning a total of 65,276 shares valued at $794,000. Overall, institutional investors hold 62.71% of the stock.

Performance Overview of Waterstone Financial Stock

On a recent trading day, Waterstone Financial shares fell by $0.40, bringing the price to $14.60. The stock traded at a volume of 28,299 shares, which is below its average volume of 45,379 shares. The company has a market capitalization of $284.12 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.00, and a beta of 0.63. Waterstone Financial reports a quick ratio of 1.39, a current ratio of 1.57, and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.97. The stock reflects a twelve-month price range with a low of $9.85 and a high of $16.36. Current moving averages indicate $14.78 for the 50-day and $13.48 for the 200-day periods.

In its most recent quarterly earnings report on July 25th, Waterstone Financial posted an earnings per share (EPS) of $0.31. The company achieved a return on equity of 4.19%, with a net margin of 6.79%, and revenue totalling $37.18 million for the quarter.

Dividend Announcements from Waterstone Financial

On a related note, Waterstone Financial declared a quarterly dividend that is set to be paid on November 1st. Shareholders on record as of October 8th will receive a dividend of $0.15 per share, representing an annualized dividend of $0.60 and a dividend yield of 4.11%. The company's dividend payout ratio stands at 82.19%.

About Waterstone Financial

Waterstone Financial, Inc. operates as a bank holding company for WaterStone Bank SSB, providing a variety of financial services within southeastern Wisconsin, USA. Its operations are divided into two primary segments: Community Banking and Mortgage Banking. The Community Banking segment offers several products and services, including consumer and business banking solutions, deposit accounts, online banking, credit, and retirement accounts, as well as various loan products and financial management services.

Waterstone, Financial, Investors