QRG Capital Management Inc. Purchases 32,408 Shares of UBS Group AG $UBS

Key Points

• QRG Capital Management increased its UBS Group position by 19.2% in the second quarter, purchasing 32,408 shares for a total holding of 201,143 shares valued at approximately $9.97 million.
• Several major institutional investors also expanded their UBS stakes, including Assenagon Asset Management, Deutsche Bank, Amundi and Franklin Resources. UBS shares recently opened at $48.45, within a 12-month range of $36.29 to $55.99.
• UBS reported quarterly revenue of $13.35 billion and earnings per share of $0.87, slightly below analyst expectations. Analysts’ average rating is Hold, with an average price target of $60.30, while proposed Swiss capital rules remain a potential risk to returns and buybacks.

QRG Capital Management Inc. lifted its position in UBS Group AG (NYSE:UBS - Free Report) by 19.2% in the second quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 201,143 shares of the bank's stock after purchasing an additional 32,408 shares during the quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc.'s holdings in UBS Group were worth $9,969,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of UBS Group during the 4th quarter worth about $4,889,413,000. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. grew its position in shares of UBS Group by 6,277.5% during the second quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 16,536,418 shares of the bank's stock worth $821,228,000 after buying an additional 16,277,125 shares in the last quarter. Deutsche Bank AG increased its stake in shares of UBS Group by 19.1% during the fourth quarter. Deutsche Bank AG now owns 29,605,781 shares of the bank's stock worth $1,371,044,000 after buying an additional 4,744,982 shares during the period. Amundi raised its holdings in shares of UBS Group by 16.9% in the 1st quarter. Amundi now owns 23,294,847 shares of the bank's stock valued at $910,130,000 after purchasing an additional 3,374,516 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Franklin Resources Inc. raised its stake in UBS Group by 184.1% in the fourth quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 4,907,214 shares of the bank's stock valued at $226,375,000 after buying an additional 3,179,974 shares in the last quarter.

UBS Group Price Performance

NYSE:UBS opened at $48.45 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $151.36 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.48, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.69 and a beta of 1.19. The company has a current ratio of 1.02, a quick ratio of 1.19 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.84. UBS Group AG has a 12-month low of $36.29 and a 12-month high of $55.99. The company's 50-day moving average is $53.02 and its two-hundred day moving average is $47.81.

UBS Group (NYSE:UBS - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The bank reported $0.87 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.90 by ($0.03). UBS Group had a net margin of 13.10% and a return on equity of 10.50%. The business had revenue of $13.35 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $13.40 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $0.72 earnings per share. The company's revenue was up 13.2% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts expect that UBS Group AG will post 3.84 EPS for the current year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

UBS has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods cut shares of UBS Group from a "hold" rating to a "moderate sell" rating in a report on Friday, June 19th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reaffirmed a "buy" rating on shares of UBS Group in a research note on Monday, June 29th. Royal Bank Of Canada restated an "outperform" rating on shares of UBS Group in a research note on Wednesday, August 5th. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an "underweight" rating on shares of UBS Group in a report on Wednesday, September 2nd. Finally, Wall Street Zen cut UBS Group from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Sunday, July 26th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, UBS Group has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $60.30.

UBS Group News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting UBS Group this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Switzerland’s upper house backed a plan requiring UBS to hold 90% Common Equity Tier 1 capital against foreign subsidiaries, below the 100% level previously proposed by the government. The lower requirement could reduce the amount of capital UBS must retain and lessen the potential impact on returns and shareholder distributions. Swiss upper house backs 90% CET1 capital backing for UBS foreign units
• Positive Sentiment: Swiss National Bank Vice Chairman Antoine Martin said a 90% CET1 backing requirement would be a “good amount” of capital. The central bank’s support may reassure investors that the compromise preserves financial stability without imposing the most severe version of the proposed rules. Swiss National Bank says 90% CET1 backing for UBS a good outcome
• Neutral Sentiment: UBS analysts continued to generate favorable research on AI infrastructure, including Buy ratings for CoreWeave and five data-center operators. This could support investment-banking and markets activity, but the analyst calls do not directly change UBS’s earnings outlook. CoreWeave gets buy rating from UBS
• Negative Sentiment: Swiss lawmakers rejected calls from UBS and business groups to moderate the new banking framework, underscoring political concern about the risks of the country’s largest bank after Credit Suisse’s collapse. The final rules could still require substantially more capital, potentially weighing on UBS’s returns, excess capital and buyback capacity. Swiss lawmakers reflect shift on banks with UBS capital decision
• Negative Sentiment: The 90% requirement is only a compromise and still leaves significant regulatory uncertainty while the legislation proceeds. Investors may therefore continue applying a discount to UBS until the capital burden and implementation timeline are finalized.

UBS Group Company Profile

UBS Group AG is a Switzerland-based global financial services company serving individuals, businesses, institutional investors and governments. Its principal businesses include wealth management, personal and corporate banking, asset management and investment banking.

Through its Global Wealth Management business, UBS provides investment advice, portfolio management, financial planning, lending and other services to private and institutional clients. Its Personal and Corporate Banking operations offer deposit, lending, payment and other banking services, primarily in Switzerland.

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