BankUnited (NYSE:BKU) Given New $50.00 Price Target at Citigroup

Key Points

• Citigroup cut its price target on BankUnited from $53 to $50 and maintained a "neutral" rating, while the broker consensus remains a Hold with an average target of $53.27, indicating mixed analyst views.
• BankUnited's Q1 results missed expectations—EPS $0.83 vs. $0.97 consensus and revenue below estimates—while management raised provisions and expenses, signaling nearer-term pressure on profitability.
• The shares traded at $45.99 (50-day SMA $46.19, 200-day SMA $44.48) and insiders sold about 11,953 shares (~$591k) in the last 90 days; institutional ownership is very high at roughly 99.7%.

BankUnited (NYSE:BKU - Get Free Report) had its price target cut by equities researchers at Citigroup from $53.00 to $50.00 in a note issued to investors on Friday,Benzinga reports. The firm presently has a "neutral" rating on the financial services provider's stock. Citigroup's price target suggests a potential upside of 8.73% from the stock's previous close.

A number of other research analysts have also commented on the stock. Barclays lowered their price objective on shares of BankUnited from $55.00 to $53.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, April 7th. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a "sell" rating on shares of BankUnited in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. Royal Bank Of Canada raised their price objective on shares of BankUnited from $48.00 to $53.00 and gave the company a "sector perform" rating in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. Raymond James Financial reiterated an "outperform" rating on shares of BankUnited in a research note on Wednesday. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of BankUnited from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a report on Wednesday, April 1st. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $53.27.

BankUnited Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:BKU traded down $0.82 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $45.99. The stock had a trading volume of 830,755 shares, compared to its average volume of 946,573. The stock's fifty day simple moving average is $46.19 and its 200 day simple moving average is $44.48. BankUnited has a 1-year low of $31.34 and a 1-year high of $52.11. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.39 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.82 and a beta of 1.26. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.58, a quick ratio of 0.82 and a current ratio of 0.82.

BankUnited (NYSE:BKU - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 22nd. The financial services provider reported $0.83 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.97 by ($0.14). BankUnited had a net margin of 14.46% and a return on equity of 9.11%. The firm had revenue of $273.69 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $284.57 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $0.78 EPS. Sell-side analysts anticipate that BankUnited will post 4.2 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, insider Kevin A. Malcolm sold 3,447 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $47.11, for a total value of $162,388.17. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 11,500 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $541,765. This trade represents a 23.06% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Sanjiv Sobti sold 5,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $50.88, for a total transaction of $254,400.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 18,816 shares of the company's stock, valued at $957,358.08. This represents a 20.99% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 11,953 shares of company stock valued at $591,492. Company insiders own 1.00% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On BankUnited

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Hantz Financial Services Inc. lifted its position in BankUnited by 21.0% in the 4th quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 1,472 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $66,000 after buying an additional 255 shares in the last quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of BankUnited by 23.5% during the 3rd quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 1,452 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $55,000 after purchasing an additional 276 shares in the last quarter. Covestor Ltd raised its holdings in shares of BankUnited by 20.9% during the 4th quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 1,673 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $75,000 after purchasing an additional 289 shares in the last quarter. Arizona State Retirement System raised its holdings in shares of BankUnited by 1.4% during the 3rd quarter. Arizona State Retirement System now owns 22,256 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $849,000 after purchasing an additional 298 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund raised its holdings in shares of BankUnited by 1.8% during the 4th quarter. Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund now owns 17,213 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $767,000 after purchasing an additional 300 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 99.70% of the company's stock.

Key Headlines Impacting BankUnited

Here are the key news stories impacting BankUnited this week:

• Positive Sentiment: NII and fee income provided meaningful support to revenue and helped offset some pressure from loans and provisions. Zacks — Q1 Earnings Analysis
• Positive Sentiment: Earnings-call highlights and commentary emphasized solid underlying growth metrics though management struck a cautious tone on outlook — a mixed but not wholly negative read. Yahoo — Q1 Earnings Call Highlights
• Neutral Sentiment: Full transcripts and the investor presentation are now available for deeper review; these provide more color on reserve builds and expense drivers. Seeking Alpha — Q1 Presentation
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts remain divided on the name, with some citing the franchise strength and others focused on credit/expense risks. Globe and Mail — Analysts Conflicted
• Neutral Sentiment: Brokerage consensus sits near "Hold," reflecting mixed expectations for near-term earnings and loan growth recovery. American Banking News — Consensus Rating
• Negative Sentiment: Q1 EPS missed estimates ($0.83 reported vs. $0.97 consensus) and revenue also trailed; management raised provisions and expenses rose, signaling nearer-term pressure on profitability. Zacks — Q1 Miss & Expense/Provision Detail
• Negative Sentiment: Keefe, Bruyette & Woods trimmed its price target (from $55 to $50) and shifted to Market Perform, signaling more cautious medium-term expectations; that action contributed to downward pressure on the shares. Benzinga — Price-Target Move

About BankUnited

BankUnited, Inc is a bank holding company based in Miami Lakes, Florida, operating through its subsidiary BankUnited, National Association. The company provides a broad range of commercial banking products and services, including deposit accounts, commercial lending and treasury management. It serves middle-market and small-business clients, offering tailored financing solutions across a variety of industry sectors.

The bank's lending portfolio includes commercial and industrial loans, commercial real estate loans and construction financing, as well as residential mortgage lending.

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