First Western Financial, Inc. (NASDAQ:MYFW) Given Average Recommendation of “Hold” by Brokerages

Shares of First Western Financial, Inc. (NASDAQ:MYFW) have been given a consensus rating of “Hold” by the five brokerages that are covering the company, Marketbeat.com reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have given a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 1 year price target among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $24.3333.

Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on MYFW shares. Wall Street Zen upgraded First Western Financial from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Sunday, November 9th. Zacks Research downgraded shares of First Western Financial from a “strong-buy” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Monday, February 16th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c)” rating on shares of First Western Financial in a research note on Monday, December 29th.

First Western Financial Stock Down 1.7%

NASDAQ:MYFW opened at $24.07 on Monday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.04, a current ratio of 1.05 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41. First Western Financial has a 12-month low of $17.52 and a 12-month high of $28.00. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $25.82 and its 200-day simple moving average is $24.33. The firm has a market capitalization of $234.32 million, a P/E ratio of 17.83 and a beta of 0.76.

First Western Financial (NASDAQ:MYFW) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 22nd. The company reported $0.45 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.47 by ($0.02). First Western Financial had a net margin of 7.08% and a return on equity of 5.06%. The company had revenue of $26.71 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $27.50 million. Equities research analysts expect that First Western Financial will post 1.5 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Transactions at First Western Financial

In other First Western Financial news, CEO Scott C. Wylie sold 16,171 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, December 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $25.72, for a total value of $415,918.12. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 756,482 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $19,456,717.04. The trade was a 2.09% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director Scott C. Mitchell sold 3,178 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, January 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $23.96, for a total value of $76,144.88. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 5,423 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $129,935.08. This trade represents a 36.95% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 36,964 shares of company stock valued at $938,485 over the last three months. 15.50% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On First Western Financial

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Algebris UK Ltd. acquired a new position in shares of First Western Financial in the third quarter valued at approximately $7,258,000. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in First Western Financial in the 2nd quarter worth $755,000. Persistent Asset Partners Ltd boosted its stake in First Western Financial by 34.6% in the 2nd quarter. Persistent Asset Partners Ltd now owns 23,406 shares of the company’s stock worth $528,000 after purchasing an additional 6,022 shares during the period. SummerHaven Investment Management LLC bought a new position in First Western Financial during the 3rd quarter worth about $819,000. Finally, Jane Street Group LLC bought a new position in First Western Financial during the 2nd quarter worth about $245,000. 60.26% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About First Western Financial

First Western Financial, Inc (NASDAQ: MYFW) is a Denver-based bank holding company that, through its principal subsidiary First Western Trust, delivers a suite of personalized financial services. The company’s core activities center on wealth management and trust administration for high-net-worth individuals, families and institutions. In addition, First Western Financial offers a comprehensive range of deposit products—such as checking accounts, savings accounts, money market funds and certificates of deposit—designed to meet the liquidity and income needs of its clients.

Complementing its deposit offerings, First Western Financial provides fiduciary and investment management services, including estate planning, charitable giving strategies and multi-generational wealth transfer.