Bankwell Financial Group (NASDAQ:BWFG) Hits New 52-Week High – Should You Buy?

Bankwell Financial Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:BWFG)’s stock price hit a new 52-week high on Monday . The stock traded as high as $69.59 and last traded at $68.8260, with a volume of 4495 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $68.15.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms recently issued reports on BWFG. Zacks Research raised shares of Bankwell Financial Group from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Monday, July 27th. Hovde Group increased their target price on Bankwell Financial Group from $51.00 to $63.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research note on Monday, July 27th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised their price target on Bankwell Financial Group from $62.00 to $72.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, July 28th. Wall Street Zen downgraded Bankwell Financial Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Sunday, May 3rd. Finally, Weiss Ratings lowered Bankwell Financial Group from a “buy (b+)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a report on Wednesday, June 24th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have given a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $67.50.

Bankwell Financial Group Trading Up 0.1%

The company has a quick ratio of 1.05, a current ratio of 1.05 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42. The business’s fifty day moving average is $57.72 and its 200 day moving average is $52.27. The stock has a market cap of $544.17 million, a PE ratio of 12.77 and a beta of 0.61.

Bankwell Financial Group (NASDAQ:BWFG) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, July 23rd. The bank reported $1.52 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.29 by $0.23. Bankwell Financial Group had a net margin of 19.80% and a return on equity of 14.19%. The company had revenue of $32.78 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $30.63 million. As a group, analysts predict that Bankwell Financial Group, Inc. will post 5.7 earnings per share for the current year.

Bankwell Financial Group Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 21st. Investors of record on Monday, August 10th will be issued a $0.20 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, August 10th. This represents a $0.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.2%. Bankwell Financial Group’s dividend payout ratio is currently 14.95%.

Insider Transactions at Bankwell Financial Group

In other news, Director Eric J. Dale bought 588 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, June 5th. The shares were bought 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 of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,282,035.20. This trade represents a 1.40% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director Todd Lampert sold 3,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, June 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $53.59, for a total value of $187,565.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 12,366 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $662,693.94. This represents a 22.06% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last quarter, insiders bought 7,156 shares of company stock valued at $370,525. Company insiders own 20.98% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Bankwell Financial Group

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in BWFG. Russell Investments Group Ltd. raised its position in Bankwell Financial Group by 585.0% during the third quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 685 shares of the bank’s stock worth $30,000 after acquiring an additional 585 shares during the last quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets grew its position in shares of 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 purchasing an additional 314 shares during the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Bankwell Financial Group during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $63,000. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC increased its stake in shares of Bankwell Financial Group by 523.4% during the 2nd quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 1,995 shares of the bank’s stock worth $72,000 after purchasing an additional 1,675 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Assetmark Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Bankwell Financial Group during the 1st quarter worth approximately $146,000. 35.80% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Bankwell Financial Group

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.