Earnest Partners LLC Grows Stake in United Bankshares, Inc. $UBSI

Key Points

• Earnest Partners LLC has increased its stake in United Bankshares, Inc. by 0.4%, owning approximately 4.2 million shares worth $146 million as of the latest SEC filing.
• United Bankshares recently announced a quarterly dividend of $0.37 per share, set to be paid on October 1st, which represents an annualized yield of 3.8%.
• Analysts have a consensus rating of "Hold" for UBSI, with an average target price of $40.50, following recent mixed ratings changes from various research firms.

Earnest Partners LLC increased its stake in United Bankshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:UBSI - Free Report) by 0.4% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 4,214,634 shares of the financial services provider's stock after purchasing an additional 15,498 shares during the quarter. Earnest Partners LLC owned approximately 2.94% of United Bankshares worth $146,121,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Farther Finance Advisors LLC increased its stake in United Bankshares by 726.5% in the 1st quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 967 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $33,000 after buying an additional 850 shares in the last quarter. Meeder Asset Management Inc. increased its stake in United Bankshares by 144.2% in the 1st quarter. Meeder Asset Management Inc. now owns 1,155 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $40,000 after buying an additional 682 shares in the last quarter. CWM LLC increased its stake in United Bankshares by 226.9% in the 1st quarter. CWM LLC now owns 1,651 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $57,000 after buying an additional 1,146 shares in the last quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp increased its stake in United Bankshares by 44.4% in the 1st quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 1,699 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $59,000 after buying an additional 522 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Hughes Financial Services LLC purchased a new stake in United Bankshares in the 1st quarter worth $60,000. 70.80% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

United Bankshares Trading Down 0.3%

Shares of NASDAQ:UBSI traded down $0.12 during trading on Friday, reaching $38.34. The company's stock had a trading volume of 512,627 shares, compared to its average volume of 612,900. The company has a current ratio of 0.98, a quick ratio of 0.98 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.10. United Bankshares, Inc. has a 12 month low of $30.50 and a 12 month high of $44.43. The firm's 50 day simple moving average is $37.05 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $35.80. The stock has a market capitalization of $5.43 billion, a PE ratio of 13.55 and a beta of 0.79.

United Bankshares (NASDAQ:UBSI - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 24th. The financial services provider reported $0.85 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.77 by $0.08. The firm had revenue of $306.00 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $297.98 million. United Bankshares had a net margin of 23.14% and a return on equity of 7.65%. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $0.71 EPS. On average, research analysts predict that United Bankshares, Inc. will post 2.81 EPS for the current fiscal year.

United Bankshares Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, October 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, September 12th will be paid a dividend of $0.37 per share. This represents a $1.48 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, September 12th. United Bankshares's payout ratio is currently 52.30%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

UBSI has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Zacks Research upgraded United Bankshares to a "hold" rating in a research note on Friday, August 8th. Wall Street Zen lowered United Bankshares from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 21st. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating, According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $40.50.

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.