Insider Selling: Westwood Holdings Group (NYSE:WHG) Director Sells $23,816.00 in Stock

Westwood Holdings Group Inc (NYSE:WHG) Director Susan Byrne sold 1,300 shares of Westwood Holdings Group stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, June 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $18.32, for a total transaction of $23,816.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 252,011 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,616,841.52. This trade represents a 0.51% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan.

Westwood Holdings Group Stock Up 8.7%

NYSE:WHG opened at $19.89 on Friday. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $16.86 and its 200-day moving average price is $17.03. Westwood Holdings Group Inc has a 52 week low of $14.70 and a 52 week high of $20.34. The stock has a market cap of $188.75 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.96 and a beta of 0.61.

Westwood Holdings Group Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 1st. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 1st will be paid a dividend of $0.15 per share. This represents a $0.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.0%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, June 1st. Westwood Holdings Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 72.29%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. purchased a new stake in Westwood Holdings Group in the second quarter worth approximately $63,000. Raymond James Financial Inc. purchased a new stake in Westwood Holdings Group during the second quarter valued at $85,000. New York State Common Retirement Fund purchased a new stake in Westwood Holdings Group during the second quarter valued at $98,000. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased its position in Westwood Holdings Group by 1,277.9% during the second quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 7,537 shares of the asset manager’s stock valued at $118,000 after acquiring an additional 6,990 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company MN lifted its holdings in Westwood Holdings Group by 39.9% in the fourth quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN now owns 10,032 shares of the asset manager’s stock valued at $173,000 after acquiring an additional 2,861 shares during the period. 56.64% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Wall Street Zen upgraded Westwood Holdings Group to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, May 16th. Weiss Ratings cut Westwood Holdings Group from a “buy (b)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 2nd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Buy”.

About Westwood Holdings Group

Westwood Holdings Group, Inc is an independent, publicly traded asset management firm founded in 1983 and headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri. Through its wholly owned subsidiaries, the company offers a range of investment advisory services tailored to institutional, retail, and high-net-worth clients. Westwood’s disciplined, value-oriented approach guides its research process across equity and fixed-income markets, with an emphasis on fundamental analysis and long-term risk management.

The firm’s product lineup includes U.S.