Westamerica Bancorporation Announces Stock Repurchase Plan
Rhea-AI Summary
Westamerica Bancorporation (NASDAQ: WABC) approved a stock repurchase program to buy up to 2,000,000 shares on the open market or in privately negotiated transactions through December 31, 2026. The amount represents approximately 8.0% of shares outstanding as of September 30, 2025. Management described the plan as reflecting the company’s financial strength, conservative risk profile and reliable earnings stream. Repurchases are discretionary and will be executed “as conditions warrant.”
Contact: Robert A. Thorson, Investor Relations; website: www.westamerica.com.
Positive
- 2,000,000-share repurchase authorization through 12/31/2026
- Repurchase equals approximately 8.0% of shares outstanding as of 9/30/2025
- Program allows open-market or privately negotiated transactions
Negative
- Repurchases are discretionary and may be suspended if conditions change
News Market Reaction – WABC
On the day this news was published, WABC gained 2.33%, reflecting a moderate positive market reaction.
Data tracked by StockTitan Argus on the day of publication.
Key Figures
Market Reality Check
Peers on Argus
WABC gained 0.95% with a new repurchase plan, while close peers showed mixed modest moves (e.g., DCOM +1.18%, QCRH -0.49%). Action appears stock-specific rather than a broad regional-bank move.
Historical Context
| Date | Event | Sentiment | Move | Catalyst |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 23 | Dividend declaration | Positive | -0.6% | Quarterly dividend of $0.46 alongside Q3 2025 net income of $28.3M. |
| Oct 16 | Earnings release | Neutral | -1.4% | Q3 2025 EPS $1.12, essentially flat vs Q2, with strong asset quality. |
| Jul 24 | Dividend declaration | Positive | -2.1% | Reaffirmed $0.46 dividend after strong Q2 2025 net income of $29.1M. |
| Jul 17 | Earnings release | Negative | -0.0% | Q2 2025 net income and EPS declined vs Q1, despite solid efficiency. |
Recent dividends and earnings headlines were fundamentally solid but followed by flat-to-negative 1-day moves, suggesting a tendency for muted or contrarian reactions to generally supportive news.
In the last few quarters, Westamerica highlighted consistent profitability and capital returns. Q2 and Q3 2025 results showed diluted EPS of $1.12 with solid efficiency metrics, while dividends were maintained at $0.46 per share. The bank also reduced share count through prior repurchases, reflecting confidence in its financial strength and conservative risk profile. Despite this, 24-hour price reactions to both earnings and dividend announcements were slightly negative, so today’s buyback news follows a pattern of shareholder-friendly actions amid cautious market responses.
Market Pulse Summary
This announcement details a new stock repurchase authorization of up to 2,000,000 shares, roughly 8.0% of Westamerica’s common stock as of September 30, 2025, effective through December 31, 2026. It follows a year of steady dividends and ongoing buybacks, framed by management as supported by a conservative risk profile and reliable earnings. Investors may watch execution of the plan, future earnings trends, and capital ratios in upcoming SEC filings to gauge the sustainability of these capital returns.
Key Terms
stock repurchase plan financial
forward-looking statements regulatory
AI-generated analysis. Not financial advice.
SAN RAFAEL, Calif., Dec. 18, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Board of Directors of Westamerica Bancorporation (NASDAQ: WABC) today approved a plan to repurchase, as conditions warrant, up to 2,000,000 shares of the Company’s common stock on the open market or in privately negotiated transactions prior to December 31, 2026. The repurchase plan represents approximately 8.0 percent of the Company’s common stock outstanding as of September 30, 2025.
Chairman, President and CEO David Payne stated, “This stock repurchase plan recognizes Westamerica’s financial strength, conservative risk profile and reliable earnings stream.”
Westamerica Bancorporation, through its wholly owned subsidiary, Westamerica Bank, operates banking and trust offices throughout Northern and Central California.
| Westamerica Bancorporation Web Address: www.westamerica.com |
For additional information contact:
Westamerica Bancorporation
1108 Fifth Avenue, San Rafael, CA 94901
Robert A. Thorson – Investment Relations Contact, 707-863-6090
investments@westamerica.com
FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION:
The following appears in accordance with the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995:
This press release may contain forward-looking statements about the Company, including descriptions of plans or objectives of its management for future operations, products or services, and forecasts of its revenues, earnings or other measures of economic performance. Forward-looking statements can be identified by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts. They often include the words “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “plan,” “estimate,” or words of similar meaning, or future or conditional verbs such as “will,” “would,” “should,” “could,” or “may.”
Forward-looking statements, by their nature, are subject to risks and uncertainties. A number of factors — many of which are beyond the Company’s control — could cause actual conditions, events or results to differ significantly from those described in the forward-looking statements. The Company’s most recent reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the annual report for the year ended December 31, 2024 filed on Form 10-K and quarterly report for the quarter ended September 30, 2025 filed on Form 10-Q, describe some of these factors, including certain credit, interest rate, operational, liquidity and market risks associated with the Company’s business and operations. Other factors described in these reports include changes in business and economic conditions, competition, fiscal and monetary policies, disintermediation, cyber security risks, legislation including the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2011, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act of 1999, and mergers and acquisitions.
Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. The Company does not undertake to update forward-looking statements to reflect circumstances or events that occur after the date forward-looking statements are made.
FAQ
What did Westamerica (WABC) announce on December 18, 2025 about share repurchases?
How large is the WABC buyback relative to shares outstanding?
How will Westamerica (WABC) execute the repurchase program?
Does the WABC repurchase plan have an expiration date?
What does Westamerica management say the buyback signals for WABC shareholders?
