Patrick Lawton Sells 30,000 Shares of Waterstone Financial (NASDAQ:WSBF) Stock

Waterstone Financial, Inc. (NASDAQ:WSBF) Director Patrick Lawton sold 30,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $18.53, for a total value of $555,900.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 19,255 shares in the company, valued at approximately $356,795.15. This represents a 60.91% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link.

Waterstone Financial Price Performance

NASDAQ:WSBF opened at $18.05 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $333.20 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.57 and a beta of 0.81. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $17.07 and a 200-day moving average price of $15.62. Waterstone Financial, Inc. has a 1-year low of $11.61 and a 1-year high of $18.88.

Waterstone Financial (NASDAQ:WSBF) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 28th. The savings and loans company reported $0.44 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. Waterstone Financial had a net margin of 12.08% and a return on equity of 6.99%. The firm had revenue of $37.17 million for the quarter.

Waterstone Financial Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, February 2nd. Stockholders of record on Thursday, January 8th were given a dividend of $0.15 per share. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, January 8th. This represents a $0.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.3%. Waterstone Financial’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 45.11%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Waterstone Financial

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of WSBF. AQR Capital Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Waterstone Financial by 16.7% in the first quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 45,595 shares of the savings and loans company’s stock valued at $613,000 after acquiring an additional 6,512 shares in the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC raised its stake in Waterstone Financial by 7.5% in the 1st quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 83,591 shares of the savings and loans company’s stock valued at $1,124,000 after purchasing an additional 5,818 shares during the last quarter. Jane Street Group LLC raised its stake in Waterstone Financial by 29.8% in the 1st quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 25,843 shares of the savings and loans company’s stock valued at $348,000 after purchasing an additional 5,928 shares during the last quarter. Ritholtz Wealth Management purchased a new position in Waterstone Financial in the 2nd quarter valued at $149,000. Finally, Los Angeles Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in Waterstone Financial by 7.7% during the 2nd quarter. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC now owns 15,840 shares of the savings and loans company’s stock worth $219,000 after purchasing an additional 1,135 shares during the last quarter. 62.71% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Stories Impacting Waterstone Financial

Here are the key news stories impacting Waterstone Financial this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Company paid its quarterly dividend ($0.15; $0.60 annualized, ~3.2–3.3% yield) on Feb. 2, supporting income-oriented holders. MarketBeat WSBF
• Positive Sentiment: Latest quarterly results (announced Jan. 28) show $0.44 EPS and $37.17M revenue with a net margin ~12% — evidence of profitable operations that can undercut panic selling. MarketBeat WSBF
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst coverage is mixed: Weiss Ratings recently reiterated a buy, while others have trimmed to hold — consensus leans modestly positive but not unanimous. Analyst Notes
• Neutral Sentiment: Institutional investors own ~62.7% of shares, which can stabilize trading even when insiders sell significant blocks. Institutional Holdings
• Negative Sentiment: Director Douglas S. Gordon sold 18,716 shares on Feb. 5 at an average $18.25 (SEC filing). The sale reduced his stake by ~3.2%. SEC Filing
• Negative Sentiment: Douglas S. Gordon also sold 15,000 shares on Feb. 4 at ~$18.55, trimming his position further. SEC Filing
• Negative Sentiment: Director Patrick S. Lawton executed multiple sales: 30,000 shares on Feb. 3 at $18.53 and another 19,255 shares reported on Feb. 4 at $18.64 — a large reduction (60.9% cut noted after the 30k sale). SEC Filing
• Negative Sentiment: EVP Julie Ann Glynn sold 20,929 shares on Feb. 2 at ~$18.19, leaving her with a materially smaller holding (reported ~70% reduction). SEC Filing

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on the company. Wall Street Zen downgraded Waterstone Financial from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Sunday, December 14th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Waterstone Financial in a research note on Monday, December 29th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, According to MarketBeat.com, Waterstone Financial has an average rating of “Buy”.

About Waterstone Financial

Waterstone Financial, Inc is a bank holding company based in Glendale, Wisconsin, that provides a broad range of financial services to individuals, businesses and institutions. Its primary operations are conducted through its wholly owned subsidiary, Waterstone Bank, which offers deposit products, loan facilities and treasury management services. The company focuses on delivering relationship-based banking solutions tailored to the needs of small and medium-sized enterprises as well as retail customers.

In addition to traditional commercial and consumer banking, Waterstone Financial supports its clients with specialized financing, including real estate, equipment and asset-based lending.