Here's What We Think About Washington Federal's (NASDAQ:WAFD) CEO Pay

In This Article:

Want to participate in a short research study? Help shape the future of investing tools and earn a $40 gift card!

Brent Beardall became the CEO of Washington Federal, Inc. (NASDAQ:WAFD) in 2017, and we think it's a good time to look at the executive's compensation against the backdrop of overall company performance. This analysis will also assess whether Washington Federal pays its CEO appropriately, considering recent earnings growth and total shareholder returns.

See our latest analysis for Washington Federal

Comparing Washington Federal, Inc.'s CEO Compensation With the industry

According to our data, Washington Federal, Inc. has a market capitalization of US$1.9b, and paid its CEO total annual compensation worth US$2.3m over the year to September 2019. We note that's a small decrease of 3.2% on last year. While this analysis focuses on total compensation, it's worth acknowledging that the salary portion is lower, valued at US$675k.

For comparison, other companies in the same industry with market capitalizations ranging between US$1.0b and US$3.2b had a median total CEO compensation of US$4.1m. This suggests that Brent Beardall is paid below the industry median. Furthermore, Brent Beardall directly owns US$7.1m worth of shares in the company, implying that they are deeply invested in the company's success.

Component

2019

2018

Proportion (2019)

Salary

US$675k

US$564k

30%

Other

US$1.6m

US$1.8m

70%

Total Compensation

US$2.3m

US$2.3m

100%

On an industry level, roughly 59% of total compensation represents salary and 41% is other remuneration. In Washington Federal's case, non-salary compensation represents a greater slice of total remuneration, in comparison to the broader industry. It's important to note that a slant towards non-salary compensation suggests that total pay is tied to the company's performance.

ceo-compensation
NasdaqGS:WAFD CEO Compensation July 18th 2020

Washington Federal, Inc.'s Growth

Over the past three years, Washington Federal, Inc. has seen its earnings per share (EPS) grow by 12% per year. In the last year, its revenue is up 8.1%.

Shareholders would be glad to know that the company has improved itself over the last few years. It's nice to see revenue heading northwards, as this is consistent with healthy business conditions. Moving away from current form for a second, it could be important to check this free visual depiction of what analysts expect for the future.

Has Washington Federal, Inc. Been A Good Investment?

With a three year total loss of 21% for the shareholders, Washington Federal, Inc. would certainly have some dissatisfied shareholders. This suggests it would be unwise for the company to pay the CEO too generously.