BankUnited (NYSE:BKU) Upgraded to "Strong-Buy" at Zacks Research

Key Points

• Zacks Research upgraded BankUnited (NYSE:BKU) from “hold” to “strong-buy” and set a FY2026 EPS estimate of $4.28.
• Analyst sentiment is mixed overall: the stock currently has a Moderate Buy consensus rating with a $53.27 average target price, while recent updates from other firms included both upgrades and target price cuts.
• BankUnited reported Q1 earnings of $0.83 per share, missing expectations, and shares were trading at $49.20 with a market cap of about $3.58 billion.

BankUnited (NYSE:BKU - Get Free Report) was upgraded by research analysts at Zacks Research from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a note issued to investors on Monday,Zacks.com reports. Zacks Research also issued estimates for BankUnited's FY2026 earnings at $4.28 EPS.

A number of other research analysts have also recently issued reports on the stock. Raymond James Financial reissued an "outperform" rating on shares of BankUnited in a research note on Wednesday, April 22nd. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods cut their target price on BankUnited from $55.00 to $50.00 and set a "market perform" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, April 23rd. Barclays reduced their target price on BankUnited from $55.00 to $53.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, April 7th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on BankUnited from $50.00 to $55.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Monday, March 30th. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded BankUnited from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Saturday, May 23rd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have given a Buy rating, five have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, BankUnited currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $53.27.

BankUnited Price Performance

Shares of NYSE BKU opened at $49.20 on Monday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.82, a current ratio of 0.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.58. The business's 50 day moving average price is $46.91 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $46.54. The company has a market cap of $3.58 billion, a PE ratio of 13.70 and a beta of 1.17. BankUnited has a twelve month low of $34.50 and a twelve month high of $52.11.

BankUnited (NYSE:BKU - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 22nd. The financial services provider reported $0.83 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.97 by ($0.14). The company had revenue of $273.69 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $284.57 million. BankUnited had a net margin of 14.46% and a return on equity of 9.11%. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $0.78 earnings per share. On average, analysts predict that BankUnited will post 4.16 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity

In other news, insider Jay D. Richards sold 4,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $48.67, for a total value of $194,680.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 40,502 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,971,232.34. This represents a 8.99% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director John N. Digiacomo sold 1,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $45.97, for a total value of $45,970.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 15,027 shares of the company's stock, valued at $690,791.19. This represents a 6.24% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 1.00% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On BankUnited

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. HoldCo Asset Management LP raised its stake in shares of BankUnited by 277.3% during the fourth quarter. HoldCo Asset Management LP now owns 3,535,282 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $157,568,000 after acquiring an additional 2,598,382 shares during the last quarter. Artemis Investment Management LLP acquired a new position in shares of BankUnited during the fourth quarter worth $73,655,000. Millennium Management LLC grew its stake in shares of BankUnited by 1,066.9% in the fourth quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 1,399,655 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $62,383,000 after purchasing an additional 1,279,712 shares during the last quarter. UBS Group AG grew its stake in shares of BankUnited by 398.0% in the fourth quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 1,170,378 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $52,164,000 after purchasing an additional 935,370 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Balyasny Asset Management L.P. increased its holdings in BankUnited by 73.4% in the fourth quarter. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. now owns 1,542,020 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $68,728,000 after purchasing an additional 652,926 shares during the period. 99.70% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

BankUnited Company Profile

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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