Earnings Estimates Moving Higher for West Bancorp (WTBA): Time to Buy?

Core Viewpoint - West Bancorp (WTBA) is positioned as a strong investment opportunity due to significant upward revisions in earnings estimates, indicating a positive earnings outlook and potential for continued stock price appreciation [1][2]. Earnings Estimate Revisions - Analysts are increasingly optimistic about West Bancorp's earnings prospects, leading to higher estimates that are expected to positively influence the stock price [2]. - The current quarter's earnings estimate is projected at $0.46 per share, reflecting a 48.39% increase from the previous year, with a 17.95% rise in the Zacks Consensus Estimate over the last 30 days [5]. - For the full year, the earnings estimate stands at $1.90 per share, representing a 33.8% increase from the prior year, with a similar positive trend in estimate revisions noted [6]. Zacks Rank and Performance - West Bancorp currently holds a Zacks Rank 1 (Strong Buy), indicating strong agreement among analysts on the upward revisions of earnings estimates, which historically correlates with stock outperformance [3][7]. - Stocks with a Zacks Rank 1 and 2 have shown significant outperformance compared to the S&P 500, with Zacks 1 stocks averaging a 25% annual return since 2008 [3][7]. Recent Stock Performance - Over the past four weeks, West Bancorp shares have increased by 6.3%, suggesting investor confidence in the company's earnings growth potential driven by favorable estimate revisions [8].