J. Safra Sarasin Holding AG Sells 1,935,848 Shares of UBS Group AG (NYSE:UBS)

Key Points

• J. Safra Sarasin Holding AG has reduced its stake in UBS Group AG by 48.9% in the first quarter, now holding 2,022,080 shares worth approximately $61.5 million.
• UBS Group recently reported earnings of $0.72 per share, exceeding analysts' estimates, with revenues of $11.55 billion, significantly higher than the consensus forecast of $9.77 billion.
• Despite the positive earnings report, UBS Group's stock has decreased by 1.8%, opening at $36.67 on Friday.

J. Safra Sarasin Holding AG lowered its stake in UBS Group AG (NYSE:UBS - Free Report) by 48.9% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 2,022,080 shares of the bank's stock after selling 1,935,848 shares during the period. J. Safra Sarasin Holding AG owned 0.06% of UBS Group worth $61,476,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC increased its position in shares of UBS Group by 0.5% in the 4th quarter. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC now owns 65,889 shares of the bank's stock worth $1,998,000 after purchasing an additional 320 shares during the last quarter. HighPoint Advisor Group LLC boosted its stake in UBS Group by 4.8% during the 4th quarter. HighPoint Advisor Group LLC now owns 7,633 shares of the bank's stock valued at $253,000 after purchasing an additional 349 shares during the period. First National Bank of Hutchinson boosted its stake in UBS Group by 3.1% during the 1st quarter. First National Bank of Hutchinson now owns 12,384 shares of the bank's stock valued at $379,000 after purchasing an additional 367 shares during the period. Keel Point LLC boosted its stake in UBS Group by 4.4% during the 4th quarter. Keel Point LLC now owns 9,227 shares of the bank's stock valued at $280,000 after purchasing an additional 389 shares during the period. Finally, Berbice Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in UBS Group by 44.4% during the 1st quarter. Berbice Capital Management LLC now owns 1,300 shares of the bank's stock valued at $40,000 after purchasing an additional 400 shares during the period.

UBS Group Stock Up 1.8%

UBS stock traded up $0.67 during trading hours on Monday, hitting $37.34. The company's stock had a trading volume of 1,483,574 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,191,306. The company has a quick ratio of 1.05, a current ratio of 1.05 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.77. The company has a market capitalization of $119.72 billion, a PE ratio of 19.75, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.64 and a beta of 1.18. UBS Group AG has a 12 month low of $25.75 and a 12 month high of $38.42. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $34.14 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $32.73.

UBS Group (NYSE:UBS - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, July 30th. The bank reported $0.72 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.70 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $11.55 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $9.77 billion. UBS Group had a net margin of 9.21% and a return on equity of 7.17%. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $0.34 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts expect that UBS Group AG will post 1.9 earnings per share for the current year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. DZ Bank raised shares of UBS Group from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 6th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upgraded shares of UBS Group from a "moderate sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Thursday, April 17th. Citigroup reiterated a "neutral" rating on shares of UBS Group in a report on Wednesday, June 11th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a "buy" rating on shares of UBS Group in a report on Monday, May 12th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group upgraded shares of UBS Group from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, June 3rd. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, four have given a hold rating, five have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Hold".

UBS Group Profile

UBS Group AG provides financial advice and solutions to private, institutional, and corporate clients worldwide. It operates through five divisions: Global Wealth Management, Personal & Corporate Banking, Asset Management, Investment Bank, and Non-core and Legacy. The company offers investment advice, estate and wealth planning, investing, corporate and banking, and investment management, as well as mortgage, securities-based, and structured lending solutions.