First Western Financial (NASDAQ:MYFW) Upgraded by Zacks Research to Strong-Buy Rating

Zacks Research upgraded shares of First Western Financial (NASDAQ:MYFW) from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating in a research note published on Monday,Zacks.com reports.

A number of other equities analysts also recently commented on the company. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of First Western Financial in a report on Monday, December 29th. Wall Street Zen upgraded First Western Financial from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Sunday, November 9th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have issued a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $24.33.

First Western Financial Trading Down 1.1%

Shares of First Western Financial stock opened at $26.38 on Monday. The business’s fifty day moving average is $25.21 and its two-hundred day moving average is $23.67. The company has a quick ratio of 1.03, a current ratio of 1.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.37. First Western Financial has a fifty-two week low of $17.52 and a fifty-two week high of $28.00. The firm has a market cap of $256.15 million, a PE ratio of 20.45 and a beta of 0.77.

First Western Financial (NASDAQ:MYFW) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 23rd. The company reported $0.32 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.38 by ($0.06). First Western Financial had a net margin of 6.91% and a return on equity of 4.91%. The company had revenue of $26.27 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $25.61 million. Analysts anticipate that First Western Financial will post 1.5 earnings per share for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other First Western Financial news, CEO Scott C. Wylie sold 16,171 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, December 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $25.72, for a total transaction of $415,918.12. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 756,482 shares in the company, valued at approximately $19,456,717.04. The trade was a 2.09% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. 17.90% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On First Western Financial

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. New York State Common Retirement Fund increased its stake in First Western Financial by 1,470.6% during the 3rd quarter. New York State Common Retirement Fund now owns 1,068 shares of the company’s stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 1,000 shares during the period. BNP Paribas Financial Markets boosted its holdings in shares of First Western Financial by 37.1% in the third quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 1,631 shares of the company’s stock valued at $38,000 after acquiring an additional 441 shares in the last quarter. Focus Partners Wealth acquired a new position in shares of First Western Financial during the third quarter valued at approximately $49,000. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised its holdings in First Western Financial by 26.8% during the third quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 7,350 shares of the company’s stock worth $169,000 after purchasing an additional 1,555 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Quadrature Capital Ltd acquired a new stake in First Western Financial in the second quarter worth approximately $219,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 60.26% of the company’s stock.

About First Western Financial

First Western Financial, Inc (NASDAQ: MYFW) is a Denver-based bank holding company that, through its principal subsidiary First Western Trust, delivers a suite of personalized financial services. The company’s core activities center on wealth management and trust administration for high-net-worth individuals, families and institutions. In addition, First Western Financial offers a comprehensive range of deposit products—such as checking accounts, savings accounts, money market funds and certificates of deposit—designed to meet the liquidity and income needs of its clients.

Complementing its deposit offerings, First Western Financial provides fiduciary and investment management services, including estate planning, charitable giving strategies and multi-generational wealth transfer.