Loan losses continue to hurt earnings

Article Excerpt

WASHINGTON FEDERAL INC. $19 (Nasdaq symbol WFSL; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Finance sector; Shares outstanding: 112.4 million; Market cap: $2.1 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 3.1; Dividend yield: 1.1%; WSSF Rating: Average) earned $7.9 million in its first quarter, which ended December 31, 2009. That’s a 63.2% drop from its year-earlier earnings of $21.5 million. Earnings per share fell 69.6%, to $0.07 from $0.23, on more shares outstanding. The company’s loan-loss provisions jumped 99.3%, to $69.8 million from $35 million. That was the main reason for the lower earnings. The increase was largely due to rising unemployment and weak housing markets in California and the Pacific northwest. Washington Federal is a hold. hold…