Insider Selling: Bankwell Financial Group (NASDAQ:BWFG) CEO Sells $251,738.24 in Stock

Bankwell Financial Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:BWFG) CEO Christopher Gruseke sold 5,056 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, February 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $49.79, for a total transaction of $251,738.24. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 172,147 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $8,571,199.13. This represents a 2.85% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link.

Bankwell Financial Group Stock Performance

NASDAQ BWFG opened at $48.74 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $384.07 million, a P/E ratio of 10.98 and a beta of 0.70. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $48.07 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $44.93. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.49, a quick ratio of 1.07 and a current ratio of 1.07. Bankwell Financial Group, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $26.39 and a fifty-two week high of $51.54.

Bankwell Financial Group (NASDAQ:BWFG) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, January 29th. The bank reported $1.15 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.20 by ($0.05). The company had revenue of $30.32 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $28.06 million. Bankwell Financial Group had a return on equity of 12.40% and a net margin of 16.94%.

Bankwell Financial Group Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 20th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, February 10th will be issued a dividend of $0.20 per share. This represents a $0.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, February 10th. Bankwell Financial Group’s payout ratio is 18.02%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of BWFG. Ameritas Investment Partners Inc. grew its position in shares of Bankwell Financial Group by 70.7% in the second quarter. Ameritas Investment Partners Inc. now owns 722 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 299 shares in the last quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. grew its holdings in Bankwell Financial Group by 585.0% in the 3rd quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 685 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $30,000 after buying an additional 585 shares in the last quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets increased its stake in shares of Bankwell Financial Group by 38.8% in the 2nd quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 1,124 shares of the bank’s stock worth $40,000 after acquiring an additional 314 shares during the last quarter. CWM LLC raised its holdings in shares of Bankwell Financial Group by 71.8% during the 3rd quarter. CWM LLC now owns 1,041 shares of the bank’s stock worth $46,000 after acquiring an additional 435 shares during the period. Finally, Police & Firemen s Retirement System of New Jersey acquired a new position in shares of Bankwell Financial Group during the 2nd quarter valued at about $50,000. 35.80% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have weighed in on BWFG. Hovde Group lifted their price objective on shares of Bankwell Financial Group from $48.00 to $49.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a report on Monday, February 2nd. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Bankwell Financial Group in a report on Monday, December 29th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised their price objective on Bankwell Financial Group from $53.00 to $55.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, February 2nd. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Bankwell Financial Group currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $52.00.

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.