Raymond James Financial Inc. Takes Position in Univest Financial Co. (NASDAQ:UVSP)

Raymond James Financial Inc. purchased a new stake in Univest Financial Co. (NASDAQ:UVSP - Free Report) during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor purchased 77,891 shares of the financial services provider's stock, valued at approximately $2,299,000. Raymond James Financial Inc. owned approximately 0.27% of Univest Financial at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB purchased a new stake in shares of Univest Financial during the third quarter worth about $79,000. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Univest Financial by 14.8% during the fourth quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 4,796 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $142,000 after purchasing an additional 617 shares during the last quarter. Trexquant Investment LP purchased a new stake in shares of Univest Financial in the fourth quarter valued at $290,000. AlphaQuest LLC increased its stake in Univest Financial by 93.1% in the fourth quarter. AlphaQuest LLC now owns 14,571 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $430,000 after purchasing an additional 7,024 shares during the last quarter. Finally, KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS acquired a new position in Univest Financial in the fourth quarter valued at $511,000. 75.07% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Univest Financial Trading Up 0.0 %

Univest Financial stock traded up $0.01 during midday trading on Monday, reaching $30.53. The stock had a trading volume of 6,094 shares, compared to its average volume of 105,738. The stock's 50-day simple moving average is $28.25 and its 200 day simple moving average is $29.51. Univest Financial Co. has a twelve month low of $20.37 and a twelve month high of $32.75. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17, a quick ratio of 1.02 and a current ratio of 1.02. The stock has a market capitalization of $885.29 million, a PE ratio of 11.80 and a beta of 0.73.

Univest Financial (NASDAQ:UVSP - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 23rd. The financial services provider reported $0.77 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.64 by $0.13. Univest Financial had a return on equity of 8.51% and a net margin of 15.17%. The business had revenue of $79.20 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $77.65 million. Analysts expect that Univest Financial Co. will post 2.36 EPS for the current year.

Univest Financial Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, May 21st. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, May 7th will be paid a $0.22 dividend. This represents a $0.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.88%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, May 7th. This is an increase from Univest Financial's previous quarterly dividend of $0.21. Univest Financial's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 32.96%.

Insider Activity at Univest Financial

In related news, Director Anne Vazquez acquired 1,250 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 19th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $28.63 per share, with a total value of $35,787.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 6,250 shares of the company's stock, valued at $178,937.50. This trade represents a 25.00 % increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Company insiders own 1.70% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, Stephens restated an "equal weight" rating and issued a $31.00 price target on shares of Univest Financial in a report on Thursday, January 23rd.

About Univest Financial

Univest Financial Corporation operates as the bank holding company for Univest Bank and Trust Co that provides banking products and services primarily in the United States. It operates through three segments: Banking, Wealth Management, and Insurance. The Banking segment offers a range of banking services, such as deposit taking, loan origination and servicing, mortgage banking, other general banking, and equipment lease financing services for individuals, businesses, municipalities, and nonprofit organizations.