WaFd (NASDAQ:WAFD) Sees Large Volume Increase – Still a Buy?
by Tristan Rich · The Markets DailyWaFd, Inc. (NASDAQ:WAFD – Get Free Report) shares saw an uptick in trading volume on Tuesday . Approximately 418,670 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 31% from the previous session’s volume of 605,402 shares.The stock last traded at $35.6260 and had previously closed at $36.30.
More WaFd News
Here are the key news stories impacting WaFd this week:
- Positive Sentiment: WaFd’s proposed $3.9 billion reverse merger with EverBank would create a larger, more diversified regional bank with approximately $75 billion in assets. Management expects the transaction to expand the deposit base, combine EverBank’s digital capabilities with WaFd’s branch network, and generate approximately 29% earnings-per-share accretion in 2027. WaFd shareholders are expected to own 40.8% of the combined company. WaFd’s EverBank merger analysis
- Neutral Sentiment: Analyst coverage following the merger announcement is mixed. DA Davidson lowered its price target for WaFd from $40 to $37 and maintained a “neutral” rating. The revised target still implies potential upside, but the reduction signals caution about execution, deal terms, or the near-term valuation. DA Davidson price-target update
- Negative Sentiment: Two investor-rights law firms announced investigations into whether WaFd shareholders are receiving a fair price and whether adequate information was provided regarding the EverBank transaction. Such reviews could create legal costs, delay completion, or increase pressure to improve the merger terms, adding uncertainty around the deal. Halper Sadeh investigation Monteverde shareholder investigation
Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth
Several research firms have recently commented on WAFD. Zacks Research cut shares of WaFd from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, June 22nd. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of WaFd from a “buy (b)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research note on Thursday, September 3rd. Finally, DA Davidson cut their price target on shares of WaFd from $40.00 to $37.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $36.25.
Get Our Latest Stock Analysis on WaFd
WaFd Stock Performance
The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $37.01 and its 200-day simple moving average is $35.11. The company has a quick ratio of 0.98, a current ratio of 0.98 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.20. The company has a market capitalization of $2.50 billion, a PE ratio of 10.68 and a beta of 0.83.
WaFd (NASDAQ:WAFD – Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Friday, July 17th. The bank reported $0.81 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.82 by ($0.01). The firm had revenue of $205.52 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $199.56 million. WaFd had a return on equity of 8.98% and a net margin of 18.47%. On average, research analysts predict that WaFd, Inc. will post 3.23 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
WaFd Dividend Announcement
The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, September 4th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 21st were given a $0.27 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, August 21st. This represents a $1.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.2%. WaFd’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 34.07%.
Institutional Investors Weigh In On WaFd
Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in WAFD. BlackRock Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of WaFd during the second quarter valued at $413,410,000. California State Teachers Retirement System increased its position in WaFd by 3,626.3% during the 2nd quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System now owns 3,409,673 shares of the bank’s stock worth $130,829,000 after purchasing an additional 3,318,170 shares in the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE acquired a new position in WaFd in the 2nd quarter valued at about $34,655,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp acquired a new position in WaFd in the 2nd quarter valued at about $26,489,000. Finally, Empowered Funds LLC purchased a new position in WaFd in the 2nd quarter valued at about $13,371,000. 83.71% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
About WaFd
Washington Federal, Inc, doing business as WaFd Bank, is a publicly traded bank holding company headquartered in Seattle, Washington. Through its subsidiary, WaFd Bank, the company provides a range of banking and financial services to individuals, small-to-medium enterprises, and commercial clients. Established in 1917 as Ballard Savings & Loan in Seattle, the institution expanded over decades to serve customers across the Western United States under the Washington Federal name and has operated as a public company since the early 1980s.
WaFd Bank’s core offerings encompass deposit accounts such as checking, savings, money market, and certificates of deposit, alongside consumer and commercial lending products.