Bankwell Financial Group (NASDAQ:BWFG) Stock Crosses Above 50 Day Moving Average – What’s Next?

Bankwell Financial Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:BWFG) crossed above its 50-day moving average during trading on Tuesday . The stock has a 50-day moving average of $53.44 and traded as high as $59.59. Bankwell Financial Group shares last traded at $58.75, with a volume of 68,757 shares traded.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

BWFG has been the subject of a number of research reports. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Bankwell Financial Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Sunday, May 3rd. Weiss Ratings downgraded Bankwell Financial Group from a “buy (b+)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a research note on Wednesday, June 24th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has 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 price target of $52.00.

Bankwell Financial Group Trading Down 2.7%

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42, a quick ratio of 1.05 and a current ratio of 1.05. The firm has a market cap of $467.04 million, a P/E ratio of 11.77 and a beta of 0.61. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $53.74 and a 200 day simple moving average of $50.29.

Bankwell Financial Group (NASDAQ:BWFG) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 22nd. The bank reported $1.41 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.23 by $0.18. Bankwell Financial Group had a net margin of 18.71% and a return on equity of 13.31%. The firm had revenue of $30.23 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $30.47 million. On average, equities research analysts predict that Bankwell Financial Group, Inc. will post 5.35 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Bankwell Financial Group Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, May 19th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 8th were issued a $0.20 dividend. This represents a $0.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 8th. Bankwell Financial Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 16.06%.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Eric J. Dale purchased 588 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, June 5th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $53.70 per share, with a total value of $31,575.60. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director owned 42,496 shares in the company, valued at $2,282,035.20. This trade represents a 1.40% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, insider Ryan Jason Hildebrand sold 1,088 shares of Bankwell Financial Group stock in a transaction on Wednesday, July 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $58.48, for a total value of $63,626.24. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 2,246 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $131,346.08. This represents a 32.63% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last three months, insiders bought 7,156 shares of company stock worth $370,525 and sold 8,909 shares worth $476,575. Company insiders own 20.98% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Bankwell Financial Group

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Russell Investments Group Ltd. grew its stake in Bankwell Financial Group by 585.0% in the 3rd quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 685 shares of the bank’s stock worth $30,000 after buying an additional 585 shares in the last quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets increased its stake in Bankwell Financial Group by 38.8% in the second quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 1,124 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $40,000 after acquiring an additional 314 shares during the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. purchased a new stake in Bankwell Financial Group during the second quarter valued at about $63,000. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC raised its position in Bankwell Financial Group by 523.4% during the second quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 1,995 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $72,000 after purchasing an additional 1,675 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Assetmark Inc. bought a new stake in Bankwell Financial Group during the first quarter worth about $146,000. 35.80% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Bankwell Financial Group Company Profile

Bankwell Financial Group, Inc is a bank holding company headquartered in New Canaan, Connecticut, and serves as the parent company of Bankwell Bank. Bankwell Bank provides commercial, business and personal banking services, with branch locations primarily across Fairfield and New Haven counties in Connecticut, along with a New York presence.

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.