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Washington Trust Bancorp (WASH) Initiated at Neutral by Piper Sandler amid Capital Constraints

Washington Trust Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ:WASH) is included among the Dividend Capture Strategy: 14 High Yield Stocks to Buy in April.

On March 16, Piper Sandler began coverage of Washington Trust Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ:WASH) with a Neutral rating. It set a $32 price target on the stock. The firm noted that the company continues to operate with relatively thin capital ratios. That situation puts some limits on growth and likely pushes share buybacks lower on the priority list.

During the Q4 2025 earnings call, CEO Edward Handy discussed targeted investments across Wealth Management and Commercial Banking. He pointed to the acquisition of assets from Lighthouse Financial Management and the hiring of Jim Brown as Chief Commercial Banking Officer as key steps in that direction. He also said the company brought in an institutional banking team focused on education, healthcare, and nonprofit clients in the Northeast. The expectation is that this team will help generate higher-quality C&I loans and improve deposit growth.

He added that a new branch in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, is planned for later in 2026. The move is meant to strengthen the company’s footprint in a market that is seeing steady growth. CFO Ronald Ohsberg reported fourth-quarter net income of $16 million, or $0.83 per share. That compares with $10.8 million, or $0.56 per share, in the prior quarter.

Net interest income came in at $40.7 million. That marks a 5% increase from Q3 and a 24% rise from the same period last year. He also noted that the net interest margin improved to 2.56%. That is up 16 basis points sequentially and 61 basis points year over year. The improvement came from a better funding mix, supported by higher in-market deposits, less reliance on wholesale funding, and disciplined deposit pricing.

Washington Trust Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ:WASH) operates as the holding company for The Washington Trust Company. The bank is state-chartered and provides financial services through two main segments: Commercial Banking and Wealth Management Services.

While we acknowledge the risk and potential of WASH as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and doing so within a shorter time frame. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than WASH and that has 10,000% upside potential, check out our report about this cheapest AI stock.

READ NEXT: Dividend Stock Portfolio for Income: 15 Stocks to Invest In and Dividend Kings and Aristocrats List: 32 Biggest Stocks

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The $250 Trillion AI Hype is Real. A few years from now, you’ll probably wish you’d bought this stock.

When Jeff Bezos said that one breakthrough technology would shape Amazon’s destiny, even Wall Street’s biggest analysts were caught off guard.

Fast forward a year and Amazon’s new CEO Andy Jassy described generative AI as a “once-in-a-lifetime” technology that is already being used across Amazon to reinvent customer experiences.

At the 8th Future Investment Initiative conference, Elon Musk predicted that by 2040 there would be at least 10 billion humanoid robots, with each priced between $20,000 and $25,000.

Do the math. According to Musk, this technology could be worth $250 trillion by 2040.

Put another way, that’s roughly equal to:

  • 175 Teslas
  • 107 Amazons
  • 140 Metas
  • 84 Googles
  • 65 Microsofts
  • And 55 Nvidias

And here’s the wild part — this $250 trillion wave isn’t tied to one company, but to an entire ecosystem of AI innovators set to reshape the global economy.

It’s a leap so massive, it could reshape how businesses, governments, and consumers operate worldwide.

Even if that $250 trillion figure sounds ambitious, major firms like PwC and McKinsey still see AI unlocking multi-trillion-dollar potential.

How could anything be worth that much?

The answer lies in a breakthrough so powerful it’s redefining how humanity works, learns, and creates.

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What most investors don’t realize is that one under-owned company holds the key to this $250 trillion revolution.

In fact, Verge argues this company’s supercheap AI technology should concern rivals.

Before I reveal the details, let’s talk about how some of the richest people on the planet are positioning themselves.

  • Bill Gates sees artificial intelligence as the “biggest technological advance in my lifetime,” more transformative than the internet or personal computer, capable of improving healthcare, education, and addressing climate change.
  • Larry Ellison — through Oracle, is spending billions on Nvidia chips and partnering with Cohere to embed generative AI across Oracle’s cloud and apps.
  • Warren Buffett — not known for tech hype — says this breakthrough could have a ‘hugely beneficial social impact.

When billionaires from Silicon Valley to Wall Street line up behind the same idea — you know it’s worth paying attention to.

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