Shaker Investments Exits Wintrust Financial Stake Amid Market Weakness
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Feb 01 2026
0mins
Should l Buy WTFC?
Source: Fool
Wintrust Financial Corp's stock rose 4.20% and reached a 52-week high despite the broader market decline, with the Nasdaq-100 down 1.69% and the S&P 500 down 0.91%.
The core catalyst for this movement is the recent announcement that Shaker Investments sold its entire stake of 26,185 shares in Wintrust Financial for approximately $3.47 million, indicating a cautious outlook on the company's future performance. This sale reflects a strategic shift in Shaker's investment focus, as they now concentrate over 30% of their assets in industrials and mega-cap tech stocks, suggesting a diminished confidence in Wintrust's growth potential.
The implications of this sale may lead to increased scrutiny of Wintrust Financial's performance, especially as it has underperformed the S&P 500 by about 2 percentage points over the past year. Investors may need to reassess their positions in light of this significant divestment.
Trade with 70% Backtested Accuracy
Stop guessing "Should I Buy WTFC?" and start using high-conviction signals backed by rigorous historical data.
Sign up today to access powerful investing tools and make smarter, data-driven decisions.
Analyst Views on WTFC
Wall Street analysts forecast WTFC stock price to fall over the next 12 months. According to Wall Street analysts, the average 1-year price target for WTFC is 139.33 USD with a low forecast of 130.00 USD and a high forecast of 145.00 USD. However, analyst price targets are subjective and often lag stock prices, so investors should focus on the objective reasons behind analyst rating changes, which better reflect the company's fundamentals.
11 Analyst Rating
10 Buy
1 Hold
0 Sell
Strong Buy
Current: 157.970
Low
130.00
Averages
139.33
High
145.00
Current: 157.970
Low
130.00
Averages
139.33
High
145.00
About WTFC
Wintrust Financial Corporation is a financial holding company. It provides community-oriented, personal and commercial banking services to customers generally located in the Chicago metropolitan area, southern Wisconsin, northwest Indiana and west Michigan. Its segments include community banking, specialty finance and wealth management. Through its community banking segment, its banks provide community-oriented, personal and commercial banking services to customers located in its market area. Its customers include individuals, small to mid-sized businesses, local governmental units and institutional clients residing primarily in the banks' local service areas. Through its specialty finance segment, it offers financing of insurance premiums for businesses and individuals; accounts receivable financing, value-added, out-sourced administrative services; and other specialty finance businesses. Through its wealth management segment, it offers a full range of wealth management services.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
Shaker Investments Fully Exits Wintrust Financial Stake
- Share Sale Overview: On January 30, Shaker Investments disclosed via an SEC filing that it sold its entire stake of 26,185 shares in Wintrust Financial for approximately $3.47 million, indicating a diminished confidence in the company.
- Asset Management Impact: This sale reduced Shaker Investments' position value in Wintrust Financial by 1.44%, reflecting a cautious outlook on the company's future performance and suggesting a strategic shift in its investment focus.
- Market Performance Comparison: As of January 29, Wintrust Financial's stock was priced at $147.90, up 13.2% over the past year, yet it underperformed the S&P 500 by about 2 percentage points, highlighting its relative market weakness.
- Portfolio Restructuring: Shaker Investments now has over 30% of its assets concentrated in industrials and mega-cap tech stocks, indicating a strategic pivot towards companies with greater scale and pricing power, which may yield faster capital appreciation in the future.
See More
Wintrust Financial Reports Record $824 Million Net Income for 2025, Up 19%
- Record Net Income: Wintrust Financial Corp achieved a record net income of $824 million for 2025, representing a 19% increase from 2024, demonstrating strong performance and heightened market demand, thereby boosting investor confidence.
- Earnings Per Share Growth: Diluted earnings per share rose to $11.40, up from $10.31 in 2024, reflecting ongoing improvements in profitability, which helps attract more investor interest in its stock.
- Loan and Deposit Growth: Loans and deposits grew by 11% and 10% respectively in 2025, indicating the company's competitive strength and expanding customer base, further solidifying its position in the financial services industry.
- Stable Credit Quality: Although nonperforming loans increased to $185.8 million, overall credit quality remains strong, showcasing the company's effectiveness in risk management and laying a solid foundation for future growth.
See More
Wintrust Financial Corporation (WTFC) Reports Record $824 Million Net Income for 2025
- Record Net Income: Wintrust Financial Corporation achieved a record net income of $824 million in 2025, representing a 19% increase from 2024, showcasing the company's strong performance and enhanced profitability, which solidifies its position in the financial services sector.
- Asset and Shareholder Value Growth: Total assets surpassed $71 billion at year-end, with tangible book value increasing by over $13 to nearly $89 per share, reflecting the company's ongoing efforts in asset management and shareholder returns, thereby boosting investor confidence.
- Deposit and Loan Growth: The company reported $1 billion in deposit growth during Q4, representing a 7% annualized increase, while loan growth also reached $1 billion, with an 8% annualized increase, indicating strong demand in the credit market and effective fund management strategies.
- Future Outlook and Strategy: Management anticipates mid- to high single-digit growth in loans and deposits for 2026, and despite challenges from seasonal fluctuations, the company remains focused on organic growth and stable margins to capitalize on market opportunities.
See More
Wintrust Financial Corp. Reports Q4 Earnings of $223 Million, Beating Estimates
- Significant Earnings Growth: Wintrust Financial Corp. reported Q4 earnings of $223 million, or $3.15 per share, marking a substantial increase from last year's $185 million and $2.63 per share, exceeding analysts' expectations of $2.95, showcasing the company's robust profitability.
- Revenue Increase: The company's revenue rose 11.8% year-over-year to $714.26 million from $638.60 million last year, reflecting enhanced business expansion and market demand, further solidifying its market position.
- Exceeding Market Expectations: This earnings report not only highlights the dual growth in profits and revenue but also demonstrates the company's resilience in facing economic challenges, boosting investor confidence in its future performance.
- Strategic Development Potential: With the increase in earnings and revenue, Wintrust Financial Corp. may intensify investments in new business and market expansion, thereby laying a foundation for future growth and enhancing its competitiveness in the financial services industry.
See More
Wintrust Financial Reports Record $823.8M Net Income for 2025, Up 19%
- Record Annual Net Income: Wintrust Financial achieved a record net income of $823.8 million for 2025, translating to $11.40 per diluted share, marking a 19% increase from $695 million and $10.31 per share in 2024, demonstrating robust growth in both loans and deposits.
- Strong Quarterly Performance: The company reported a net income of $223 million for Q4 2025, or $3.15 per diluted share, up from $216.3 million and $2.78 per share in Q3 2025, reflecting solid performance and enhanced profitability in the market.
- Significant Growth in Net Interest Income: Net interest income for Q4 2025 reached $583.9 million, an increase of $16.9 million from $567 million in Q3 2025, primarily driven by improved net interest margin and growth in average earning assets, further solidifying the company's financial foundation.
- Loan and Deposit Growth: In Q4 2025, Wintrust saw total loans and deposits increase by $1 billion each, with annualized growth rates of 8% and 7% respectively, indicating strong demand in the credit market and an expanding customer base.
See More
Wintrust Financial (WTFC) Q4 EPS Surpasses Expectations at $3.15
- Strong Earnings Performance: Wintrust Financial reported a Q4 GAAP EPS of $3.15, exceeding expectations by $0.23, which reflects the company's robust profitability and enhances investor confidence.
- Significant Revenue Growth: The company achieved Q4 revenue of $714.26 million, marking an 11.8% year-over-year increase and surpassing market expectations by $12.13 million, indicating sustained strong demand and business expansion.
- Positive Market Reaction: The better-than-expected earnings report is likely to drive Wintrust Financial's stock price upward, attracting more investor interest and further solidifying its market position.
- Optimistic Future Outlook: With ongoing operational optimization and market expansion, the company is expected to maintain strong financial performance in the coming quarters, bolstering its competitiveness in the financial services sector.
See More
Shaker Investments Fully Exits Wintrust Financial Stake
- Share Sale Overview: On January 30, Shaker Investments disclosed via an SEC filing that it sold its entire stake of 26,185 shares in Wintrust Financial for approximately $3.47 million, indicating a diminished confidence in the company.
- Asset Management Impact: This sale reduced Shaker Investments' position value in Wintrust Financial by 1.44%, reflecting a cautious outlook on the company's future performance and suggesting a strategic shift in its investment focus.
- Market Performance Comparison: As of January 29, Wintrust Financial's stock was priced at $147.90, up 13.2% over the past year, yet it underperformed the S&P 500 by about 2 percentage points, highlighting its relative market weakness.
- Portfolio Restructuring: Shaker Investments now has over 30% of its assets concentrated in industrials and mega-cap tech stocks, indicating a strategic pivot towards companies with greater scale and pricing power, which may yield faster capital appreciation in the future.
See More
Wintrust Financial Reports Record $824 Million Net Income for 2025, Up 19%
- Record Net Income: Wintrust Financial Corp achieved a record net income of $824 million for 2025, representing a 19% increase from 2024, demonstrating strong performance and heightened market demand, thereby boosting investor confidence.
- Earnings Per Share Growth: Diluted earnings per share rose to $11.40, up from $10.31 in 2024, reflecting ongoing improvements in profitability, which helps attract more investor interest in its stock.
- Loan and Deposit Growth: Loans and deposits grew by 11% and 10% respectively in 2025, indicating the company's competitive strength and expanding customer base, further solidifying its position in the financial services industry.
- Stable Credit Quality: Although nonperforming loans increased to $185.8 million, overall credit quality remains strong, showcasing the company's effectiveness in risk management and laying a solid foundation for future growth.
See More
Wintrust Financial Corporation (WTFC) Reports Record $824 Million Net Income for 2025
- Record Net Income: Wintrust Financial Corporation achieved a record net income of $824 million in 2025, representing a 19% increase from 2024, showcasing the company's strong performance and enhanced profitability, which solidifies its position in the financial services sector.
- Asset and Shareholder Value Growth: Total assets surpassed $71 billion at year-end, with tangible book value increasing by over $13 to nearly $89 per share, reflecting the company's ongoing efforts in asset management and shareholder returns, thereby boosting investor confidence.
- Deposit and Loan Growth: The company reported $1 billion in deposit growth during Q4, representing a 7% annualized increase, while loan growth also reached $1 billion, with an 8% annualized increase, indicating strong demand in the credit market and effective fund management strategies.
- Future Outlook and Strategy: Management anticipates mid- to high single-digit growth in loans and deposits for 2026, and despite challenges from seasonal fluctuations, the company remains focused on organic growth and stable margins to capitalize on market opportunities.
See More
Wintrust Financial Corp. Reports Q4 Earnings of $223 Million, Beating Estimates
- Significant Earnings Growth: Wintrust Financial Corp. reported Q4 earnings of $223 million, or $3.15 per share, marking a substantial increase from last year's $185 million and $2.63 per share, exceeding analysts' expectations of $2.95, showcasing the company's robust profitability.
- Revenue Increase: The company's revenue rose 11.8% year-over-year to $714.26 million from $638.60 million last year, reflecting enhanced business expansion and market demand, further solidifying its market position.
- Exceeding Market Expectations: This earnings report not only highlights the dual growth in profits and revenue but also demonstrates the company's resilience in facing economic challenges, boosting investor confidence in its future performance.
- Strategic Development Potential: With the increase in earnings and revenue, Wintrust Financial Corp. may intensify investments in new business and market expansion, thereby laying a foundation for future growth and enhancing its competitiveness in the financial services industry.
See More
Wintrust Financial Reports Record $823.8M Net Income for 2025, Up 19%
- Record Annual Net Income: Wintrust Financial achieved a record net income of $823.8 million for 2025, translating to $11.40 per diluted share, marking a 19% increase from $695 million and $10.31 per share in 2024, demonstrating robust growth in both loans and deposits.
- Strong Quarterly Performance: The company reported a net income of $223 million for Q4 2025, or $3.15 per diluted share, up from $216.3 million and $2.78 per share in Q3 2025, reflecting solid performance and enhanced profitability in the market.
- Significant Growth in Net Interest Income: Net interest income for Q4 2025 reached $583.9 million, an increase of $16.9 million from $567 million in Q3 2025, primarily driven by improved net interest margin and growth in average earning assets, further solidifying the company's financial foundation.
- Loan and Deposit Growth: In Q4 2025, Wintrust saw total loans and deposits increase by $1 billion each, with annualized growth rates of 8% and 7% respectively, indicating strong demand in the credit market and an expanding customer base.
See More
Wintrust Financial (WTFC) Q4 EPS Surpasses Expectations at $3.15
- Strong Earnings Performance: Wintrust Financial reported a Q4 GAAP EPS of $3.15, exceeding expectations by $0.23, which reflects the company's robust profitability and enhances investor confidence.
- Significant Revenue Growth: The company achieved Q4 revenue of $714.26 million, marking an 11.8% year-over-year increase and surpassing market expectations by $12.13 million, indicating sustained strong demand and business expansion.
- Positive Market Reaction: The better-than-expected earnings report is likely to drive Wintrust Financial's stock price upward, attracting more investor interest and further solidifying its market position.
- Optimistic Future Outlook: With ongoing operational optimization and market expansion, the company is expected to maintain strong financial performance in the coming quarters, bolstering its competitiveness in the financial services sector.
See More
