Univest Financial Co. (NASDAQ:UVSP) Stake Lessened by Bridgeway Capital Management LLC

Bridgeway Capital Management LLC lessened its position in Univest Financial Co. (NASDAQ:UVSP - Free Report) by 8.4% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 198,567 shares of the financial services provider's stock after selling 18,303 shares during the period. Bridgeway Capital Management LLC owned approximately 0.68% of Univest Financial worth $5,860,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC grew its holdings in shares of Univest Financial by 161.2% in the 4th quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 1,003 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $30,000 after acquiring an additional 619 shares during the period. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB purchased a new stake in Univest Financial during the third quarter worth $79,000. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. grew its holdings in Univest Financial by 14.8% in the fourth quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 4,796 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $142,000 after purchasing an additional 617 shares during the last quarter. State of Tennessee Department of Treasury purchased a new position in shares of Univest Financial in the fourth quarter valued at $244,000. Finally, Zacks Investment Management purchased a new position in shares of Univest Financial in the fourth quarter valued at $289,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 75.07% of the company's stock.

Univest Financial Trading Up 0.5%

Univest Financial stock traded up $0.17 during trading on Tuesday, hitting $31.22. The company's stock had a trading volume of 15,277 shares, compared to its average volume of 106,044. The stock's fifty day moving average is $28.31 and its 200 day moving average is $29.62. Univest Financial Co. has a 1-year low of $20.37 and a 1-year high of $32.75. The stock has a market capitalization of $901.63 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.05 and a beta of 0.73. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17, a quick ratio of 1.02 and a current ratio of 1.02.

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

Univest Financial Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, May 21st. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, May 7th will be given a dividend of $0.22 per share. This represents a $0.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.82%. This is a boost from Univest Financial's previous quarterly dividend of $0.21. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, May 7th. Univest Financial's payout ratio is 32.96%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Univest Financial news, Director Anne Vazquez purchased 1,250 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 19th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $28.63 per share, for a total transaction of $35,787.50. Following the completion of the purchase, the director now owns 6,250 shares in the company, valued at $178,937.50. The trade was a 25.00% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 1.70% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Separately, Stephens reissued an "equal weight" rating and set a $31.00 price objective on shares of Univest Financial in a research note 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.