Source: Investing Published 12/02/2025, 01:10
Seattle – WaFd, Inc. (NASDAQ:WAFD), the holding company for WaFd Bank, announced an increase in its regular quarterly cash dividend to 27 cents per share, marking the 168th consecutive quarterly cash dividend. The dividend is scheduled to be paid on March 7, 2025 to shareholders of record as of February 21, 2025. According to InvestingPro data, WaFd has maintained a dividend payment for 42 consecutive years and currently offers a dividend yield of 3.5%.
The bank, which operates under the name WaFd Bank, is a commercial bank chartered by the state of Washington with federal insurance. The bank, which dates back to 1917, offers a range of services including consumer and corporate deposit accounts, business and real estate financing, and insurance products through a subsidiary. As of December 31, 2024, WaFd Inc. reported operating 210 branches with $27.7 billion in assets, $21.4 billion in deposits, and $3.0 billion in shareholders’ equity.
This increase in dividends reflects the Company’s continued commitment to delivering value to its shareholders and demonstrates a level of confidence in its financial stability and profitability. The information provided here is based on a press release from WaFd, Inc.
In other recent news, Washington Federal has been the focus of several analyst actions. DA Davidson downgraded the company’s stock to “neutral” from “buy” and set a new target price of $32.00, after Q1 FY25 earnings missed expectations and a strategic shift that includes exiting the single-family residential mortgage business.
Meanwhile, Piper Sandler maintained a “neutral” rating but lowered its target price from $37.00 to $31.00. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods also revised their price target for Washington Federal, lowering it to $34.00 while maintaining a “market perform” rating. Stephens, on the other hand, maintained an “equal weight” rating on Washington Federal stock with a flat price target of $38.00.
These developments come on the heels of Washington Federal’s strategic shift away from residential lending to commercial lending. Analysts have met the bank’s efforts to reshape its balance sheet and improve profitability with caution, adjusting their forecasts and valuation models accordingly.
