D.A. Davidson Maintains Washington Federal Neutral on Merger News, Raises PT

D.A. Davidson maintained its Washington Federal

Neutral rating and raised the company's price target from $18 to $19 in a research report published today. In the report, D.A. Davidson stated, "We view the deal positively as it is large enough to be meaningful to earning assets (not to mention interest rate friendly), but small enough that SV's credit issues will not impede WAFD's own credit progress. In addition, the deal structure appears sound with variables tied to credit performance. The transaction offers a glimpse of additional acquisition opportunities for WAFD." Shares of Washington Federal closed today at $16.75, up 1.27% from Wednesday's market close.