WaFd (NASDAQ:WAFD) Stock Rating Upgraded by Zacks Research

WaFd (NASDAQ:WAFD) was upgraded by equities research analysts at Zacks Research from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note issued to investors on Monday, Zacks reports. Zacks Research also issued estimates for WaFd’s FY2027 earnings at $3.36 EPS.

A number of other research firms have also recently issued reports on WAFD. DA Davidson cut their target price on WaFd from $40.00 to $37.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, September 9th. Weiss Ratings lowered WaFd from a “buy (b)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Thursday, September 3rd. Finally, Piper Sandler reduced their price target on WaFd from $36.00 to $32.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, October 1st. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, one has issued a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $35.25.

WaFd Price Performance

WaFd stock opened at $29.92 on Monday. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $34.74 and a 200-day moving average of $35.13. WaFd has a 52-week low of $26.31 and a 52-week high of $39.49. 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 firm has a market capitalization of $2.21 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.44 and a beta of 0.89.

WaFd (NASDAQ:WAFD) last released its earnings results on Friday, July 17th. The bank reported $0.81 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.82 by ($0.01). WaFd had a net margin of 18.47% and a return on equity of 8.98%. The business had revenue of $205.52 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $199.56 million. As a group, analysts predict that WaFd will post 3.22 EPS for the current year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On WaFd

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Baron Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in WaFd by 3.8% during the first quarter. Baron Wealth Management LLC now owns 8,720 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $274,000 after acquiring an additional 323 shares during the period. HB Wealth Management LLC boosted its position in shares of WaFd by 3.5% during the 2nd quarter. HB Wealth Management LLC now owns 10,514 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $403,000 after acquiring an additional 356 shares in the last quarter. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC acquired a new position in WaFd in the second quarter worth about $26,000. Assetmark Inc. grew its stake in shares of WaFd by 3,620.0% in the 1st quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 930 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 905 shares during the period. Finally, Amundi lifted its position in shares of WaFd by 9.4% during the 1st quarter. Amundi now owns 12,668 shares of the bank’s stock worth $398,000 after buying an additional 1,093 shares during the period. 83.71% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

About WaFd

WaFd, Inc is a bank holding company headquartered in Seattle, Washington, and the parent company of WaFd Bank. Founded in 1917 as Washington Federal, the company adopted the WaFd name in 2024. WaFd Bank provides banking and financial services to individuals, families, businesses and nonprofit organizations.

The bank offers deposit accounts, residential mortgage lending, home equity financing, commercial real estate loans, commercial and industrial lending, construction financing and consumer banking products.