United Bankshares (NASDAQ:UBSI) Cut to “Sell” at StockNews.com

StockNews.com downgraded shares of United Bankshares (NASDAQ:UBSI) from a hold rating to a sell rating in a research note issued to investors on Tuesday.

Several other research firms have also recently commented on UBSI. DA Davidson boosted their target price on United Bankshares from $36.00 to $41.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research note on Friday, July 26th. Stephens upped their target price on shares of United Bankshares from $36.00 to $39.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a research note on Friday, July 26th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lifted their price target on shares of United Bankshares from $38.00 to $40.00 and gave the stock a market perform rating in a research note on Friday, July 26th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a hold rating and one has assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $40.25.

United Bankshares Stock Up 0.5 %

Shares of NASDAQ:UBSI opened at $36.33 on Tuesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.91 billion, a PE ratio of 13.87 and a beta of 0.99. United Bankshares has a 1 year low of $25.35 and a 1 year high of $39.93. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31, a current ratio of 1.00 and a quick ratio of 0.99. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $36.60 and its two-hundred day moving average is $34.49.

United Bankshares (NASDAQ:UBSI) last released its earnings results on Thursday, July 25th. The financial services provider reported $0.71 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.64 by $0.07. The company had revenue of $255.94 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $255.54 million. United Bankshares had a net margin of 22.44% and a return on equity of 7.72%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was down 2.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $0.68 EPS. Analysts predict that United Bankshares will post 2.7 EPS for the current year.

United Bankshares Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, October 1st. Investors of record on Friday, September 13th will be paid a dividend of $0.37 per share. This represents a $1.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.07%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, September 13th. United Bankshares’s payout ratio is 56.49%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On United Bankshares

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of United Bankshares in the 4th quarter valued at about $45,308,000. ProShare Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of United Bankshares by 110.4% during the second quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC now owns 2,206,434 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $71,577,000 after acquiring an additional 1,157,579 shares during the last quarter. Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P. increased its holdings in shares of United Bankshares by 14.8% in the 1st quarter. Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P. now owns 1,311,291 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $46,931,000 after acquiring an additional 169,200 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP raised its position in United Bankshares by 1.8% in the 2nd quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 7,907,665 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $256,521,000 after purchasing an additional 142,545 shares during the last quarter. Finally, UBS Group AG raised its position in United Bankshares by 77.5% in the 4th quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 316,889 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $11,899,000 after purchasing an additional 138,317 shares during the last quarter. 70.80% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About United Bankshares

United Bankshares, Inc, through its subsidiaries, primarily provides commercial and retail banking products and services in the United States. It operates through two segments, Community Banking and Mortgage Banking. The company accepts checking, savings, and time and money market accounts; individual retirement accounts; and demand deposits, statement and special savings, and NOW accounts.