WaFd Rewards Shareholders With a 3.8% Dividend Increase

Dividend Increase - WaFd, Inc. (WAFD) increased its quarterly cash dividend by 3.8% to 27 cents per share, payable on March 7, 2025, to shareholders of record as of February 21 [1] - Prior to this increase, WAFD raised its dividend by 4% to 26 cents per share in February 2024, marking the fourth increase in the past five years with an average growth rate of 4.1% [1] Capital Distribution Activities - WaFd has an ongoing share repurchase program, extended in May 2024, increasing the authorization by 10 million shares with no expiration date; approximately 11.5 million shares remain available under the current authorization as of December 31, 2024 [3] - The repurchase plan was initially announced in 1995 and has been extended multiple times, including a previous extension in January 2021 for an additional 10 million shares [3] Financial Position - As of December 31, 2024, WAFD reported total borrowings of $2.9 billion, cash and cash equivalents of$1.5 billion, net loans receivable of $21.1 billion, and total deposits of$2.9 billion [4] - The common equity Tier-1 capital ratio was 11.45%, and the total capital ratio was 14.43%, both exceeding regulatory requirements [4] Shareholder Value - Given its solid capital and liquidity positions, WaFd is expected to maintain its current capital distribution activities and enhance shareholder value [5] - Over the past year, WaFd's shares have increased by 12.6%, compared to the industry's growth of 35.6% [5]