Renaissance Technologies expands stakes in Wolverine World Wide and Westamerica Bancorporation

Renaissance Technologies LLC increased its ownership in two publicly traded companies during the first quarter. The hedge fund raised its stake in Wolverine World Wide, Inc. (NYSE:WWW) by 111.8%, bringing its holding to 534,045 shares, or about 0.65% of the textile maker’s stock, valued at roughly $8.7 million. In a separate filing, Renaissance boosted its position in Westamerica Bancorporation (NASDAQ:WABC) by 59.6%, now owning 152,431 shares, also about 0.65% of the financial services firm, worth approximately $7.95 million. Both companies are heavily owned by institutional investors, with over 80% of their shares held by such entities.