Bankwell Financial Group (NASDAQ:BWFG) Posts Quarterly Earnings Results, Beats Estimates By $0.18 EPS

Bankwell Financial Group (NASDAQ:BWFG) issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday. The bank reported $1.41 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.23 by $0.18, Zacks reports. The firm had revenue of $30.23 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $30.47 million. Bankwell Financial Group had a return on equity of 13.53% and a net margin of 18.71%.

Bankwell Financial Group Stock Performance

Shares of Bankwell Financial Group stock opened at $50.37 on Friday. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $48.81 and its 200 day moving average price is $47.08. The company has a market cap of $401.45 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.11 and a beta of 0.62. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60, a quick ratio of 1.06 and a current ratio of 1.06. Bankwell Financial Group has a one year low of $31.50 and a one year high of $53.86.

Bankwell Financial Group Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, May 19th. Investors of record on Friday, May 8th will be given a dividend of $0.20 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 8th. This represents a $0.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.6%. Bankwell Financial Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 18.02%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts recently commented on BWFG shares. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods increased their price objective on Bankwell Financial Group from $53.00 to $55.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Bankwell Financial Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, March 7th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Bankwell Financial Group in a report on Monday, December 29th. Finally, Hovde Group upped their target price on shares of Bankwell Financial Group from $48.00 to $49.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a report on Monday, February 2nd. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Bankwell Financial Group has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $52.00.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, EVP Christine Chivily sold 1,985 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $49.80, for a total transaction of $98,853.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 16,186 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $806,062.80. The trade was a 10.92% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Eric J. Dale purchased 612 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, March 6th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $46.00 per share, for a total transaction of $28,152.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 41,908 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,927,768. The trade was a 1.48% increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. Over the last quarter, insiders bought 26,816 shares of company stock worth $1,256,874 and sold 11,897 shares worth $592,523. Corporate insiders own 20.98% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Bankwell Financial Group

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Two Sigma Investments LP purchased a new position in shares of Bankwell Financial Group during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $695,000. Empowered Funds LLC increased its holdings in Bankwell Financial Group by 3.4% in the 1st quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 21,262 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $642,000 after purchasing an additional 702 shares during the last quarter. Algert Global LLC purchased a new stake in Bankwell Financial Group in the third quarter valued at approximately $607,000. Quadrature Capital Ltd purchased a new stake in Bankwell Financial Group in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $532,000. Finally, Millennium Management LLC raised its position in Bankwell Financial Group by 86.5% in the fourth quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 11,424 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $523,000 after purchasing an additional 5,297 shares during the period. 35.80% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Bankwell Financial Group

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.