Semper Augustus Investments Group LLC cut its position in shares of Washington Federal, Inc. (NASDAQ:WAFD – Get Rating) by 4.0% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 61,190 shares of the bank's stock after selling 2,533 shares during the quarter. Washington Federal comprises 0.5% of Semper Augustus Investments Group LLC's investment portfolio, making the stock its 25th biggest holding. Semper Augustus Investments Group LLC's holdings in Washington Federal were worth $2,008,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Toth Financial Advisory Corp purchased a new position in Washington Federal during the first quarter valued at $48,000. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC raised its stake in Washington Federal by 50.4% during the first quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 3,760 shares of the bank's stock valued at $123,000 after buying an additional 1,260 shares during the last quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors raised its stake in Washington Federal by 979.4% during the first quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors now owns 4,091 shares of the bank's stock valued at $134,000 after buying an additional 3,712 shares during the last quarter. Investors Asset Management of Georgia Inc. GA ADV purchased a new position in Washington Federal during the first quarter valued at $202,000. Finally, CAPROCK Group Inc. purchased a new position in Washington Federal during the first quarter valued at $213,000. 81.63% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. DA Davidson set a $41.00 price target on Washington Federal in a research note on Friday, July 15th. StockNews.com upgraded Washington Federal from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, September 8th.

Washington Federal Stock Up 0.8 %

Washington Federal (NASDAQ:WAFD – Get Rating) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 13th. The bank reported $0.91 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.79 by $0.12. The company had revenue of $169.30 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $157.80 million. Washington Federal had a return on equity of 11.50% and a net margin of 31.21%. Washington Federal's revenue for the quarter was up 19.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $0.61 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Washington Federal, Inc. will post 3.22 EPS for the current year.

Washington Federal Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, September 2nd. Investors of record on Friday, August 19th were given a dividend of $0.24 per share. This represents a $0.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.97%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, August 18th. Washington Federal's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 31.58%.

Washington Federal Company Profile

(Get Rating)

Washington Federal, Inc operates as the bank holding company for Washington Federal Bank, National Association that provides lending, depository, insurance, and other banking services in the United States. The company offers deposit products, including business and personal checking accounts, and term certificates of deposit, as well as money market accounts and passbook savings accounts.

See Also

• Get a free copy of the StockNews.com research report on Washington Federal (WAFD)
• Three Value Stocks For A Volatile Market
• 3 Energy Stocks Nearing Breakouts From Cup-Shaped Patterns
• Do These Dividend Achievers Deserve A Place In Your Portfolio?
• Darden Restaurants Takes the Low Road Against Inflation
• Why These 3 Stocks Are Off to Hot September Starts

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding WAFD? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Washington Federal, Inc. (NASDAQ:WAFD – Get Rating).

Receive News & Ratings for Washington Federal Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Washington Federal and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.