Institutional Buyer Adds Large Stake in Washington Trust Bancorp

Westerly, Rhode Island, August 31, 2025

News Summary

An institutional investor established a significant new position in Washington Trust Bancorp, purchasing 95,410 shares valued at roughly $2.94 million and representing about 0.49% of the company. The move comes alongside other large managers increasing exposure—Vanguard, Invesco, Dimensional, Millennium and The Manufacturers Life all added shares—bringing institutional ownership to about 65.81%. Analysts remain mixed with a consensus Hold and a $29 average target. The bank beat recent EPS and revenue estimates and pays a high-yield quarterly dividend, making upcoming results and further institutional flows key drivers for the stock.

Nuveen Adds Large Stake in Washington Trust Bancorp; Several Institutions Shift Positions

Key point: An institutional investor established a significant new holding in Washington Trust Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ:WASH) during the first quarter, buying 95,410 shares worth roughly $2.94 million and ending the quarter with about 0.49% of the company. This move is the lead development in a series of institutional trades, analyst updates, and company results that together shape the stock’s near-term outlook.

What happened

During the first quarter, an institutional buyer acquired 95,410 shares of Washington Trust Bancorp stock, a purchase valued at about $2,944,000. That holding represented roughly 0.49% of the company’s outstanding shares at quarter end. The share price opened at $30.30 on the referenced Friday, inside a 1‑year range of $24.95 to $40.59.

Other institutional moves

• Vanguard Group Inc. increased its stake by 8.3% in the first quarter and now holds 1,119,395 shares, valued at approximately $34,545,000 after adding 86,062 shares.
• Invesco Ltd. raised its position by 39.3% in Q1 and now owns 295,462 shares valued near $9,118,000 after adding 83,311 shares.
• Dimensional Fund Advisors LP lifted its holding by 6.7% in Q4 to 932,056 shares, valued at about $29,220,000 after adding 58,176 shares.
• Millennium Management LLC significantly increased exposure in Q4, growing by roughly 3,240% to 226,355 shares after adding 219,578 shares.
• The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company expanded materially in Q4, ending with 403,749 shares after purchasing an additional 397,255 shares during the period.

Institutional investors and hedge funds now own about 65.81% of Washington Trust Bancorp’s stock.

Analyst coverage and ratings

Analyst activity has been mixed. One firm began coverage with a neutral stance and a $28.00 price target. Another firm downgraded the stock from neutral to underweight while keeping a $28.00 target. Across available research, one analyst rates the stock as a Strong Buy, two as Hold, and one as Sell. The current consensus average rating is Hold, with an average target price of $29.00.

Earnings, revenue and financial metrics

Washington Trust Bancorp last reported quarterly results for the period ending prior to July 21st. The company posted earnings per share of $0.68, topping the consensus estimate of $0.63, and reported revenue of $54.26 million versus expected revenue of $54.07 million. On a trailing basis the company shows a return on equity (ROE) of 9.05% and a negative net margin of -6.10%.

Selected financial ratios and market figures include:

• Market capitalization: approximately $580.55 million
• Price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio: -20.07
• Price-to-earnings-growth (PEG) ratio: 0.87
• Beta: 0.91
• Debt-to-equity ratio: 1.94
• Current ratio: 1.05; Quick ratio: 1.04
• 50-day / 200-day moving averages: $28.45 / $28.88

Dividend and shareholder payments

The company paid a quarterly dividend on Friday, July 11th. Shareholders of record as of Tuesday, July 1st received $0.56 per share. That quarterly distribution annualizes to $2.24 and implies a dividend yield of about 7.4% based on the figures cited. The payout ratio reported is negative on a headline basis, reflecting recent earnings and accounting patterns.

Business overview

Washington Trust Bancorp operates as the bank holding company for The Washington Trust Company of Westerly. The firm provides a mix of banking and financial services to individuals and businesses across two primary segments: Commercial Banking and Wealth Management Services. Commercial Banking services include deposit accounts, commercial real estate and construction loans, commercial and industrial loans, residential mortgage products, and consumer lending such as home equity and personal installment loans. Wealth Management focuses on advisory and related services for clients.

Market context and what to watch next

Investors will likely monitor changes in institutional holdings, further analyst updates, and upcoming quarterly results for signs of revenue and margin trends. The mix of a relatively high dividend yield, negative net margin, and a negative headline P/E ratio makes the stock sensitive to earnings swings and provisioning for credit or other expenses. Institutional activity suggests some large managers are adding exposure while analyst sentiment remains cautious on average.

---

FAQ

Key features at a glance

Feature	Detail
New institutional purchase	95,410 shares (~$2,944,000; ~0.49% ownership)
Largest institutional holdings noted	Vanguard: 1,119,395 shares; Dimensional: 932,056 shares; Invesco: 295,462 shares
Market cap	$580.55 million
1‑year range	$24.95 – $40.59
Recent EPS / Revenue	$0.68 EPS; $54.26 million revenue
Dividend	$0.56 quarterly; $2.24 annualized; ~7.4% yield
Analyst consensus	Average rating: Hold; average target: $29.00
Ownership by institutions	~65.81%
Key ratios	P/E: -20.07; PEG: 0.87; Debt/Equity: 1.94; ROE: 9.05%

Deeper Dive: News & Info About This Topic

Additional Resources

• Yahoo Finance: WASH
• Wikipedia: Washington Trust Bancorp
• Nasdaq: WASH
• Google Search: Washington Trust Bancorp
• SEC EDGAR Search: Washington Trust Bancorp
• Google Scholar: Washington Trust Bancorp
• Washington Trust Bancorp Investor Relations
• Encyclopedia Britannica: Washington Trust Bancorp
• MarketBeat: WASH
• Google News: Washington Trust Bancorp