United Bankshares (NASDAQ:UBSI) Share Price Breaks Above 200-Day Moving Average - Time to Sell?

Key Points

• United Bankshares shares rose above their 200-day moving average, reaching $46.95 and last trading at $46.72, compared with the average of $45.03.
• Analyst sentiment remains mixed but leans neutral: three analysts rate UBSI a Buy and four rate it Hold, with an average price target of $47.80.
• The bank exceeded quarterly expectations, reporting $0.95 in EPS and $323.82 million in revenue, and announced a quarterly dividend of $0.38 per share, representing a 3.3% annualized yield.

United Bankshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:UBSI - Get Free Report) crossed above its two hundred day moving average during trading on Monday. The stock has a two hundred day moving average of $45.03 and traded as high as $46.95. United Bankshares shares last traded at $46.72, with a volume of 952,985 shares traded.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

UBSI has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Raymond James Financial upped their price target on United Bankshares from $49.00 to $50.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday, July 1st. Hovde Group boosted their price objective on shares of United Bankshares from $49.00 to $50.00 and gave the stock a "market perform" rating in a research report on Friday, July 24th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of United Bankshares from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, July 25th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "buy (b)" rating on shares of United Bankshares in a research report on Monday, July 6th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lifted their price target on shares of United Bankshares from $46.00 to $48.00 and gave the stock a "market perform" rating in a research note on Monday, July 27th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $47.80.

United Bankshares Trading Down 0.3%

The stock has a market capitalization of $6.36 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.73 and a beta of 0.70. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.10, a quick ratio of 0.97 and a current ratio of 0.98. The business has a 50-day moving average of $47.76 and a 200-day moving average of $45.03.

United Bankshares (NASDAQ:UBSI - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 23rd. The financial services provider reported $0.95 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.89 by $0.06. United Bankshares had a return on equity of 9.39% and a net margin of 27.97%.The company had revenue of $323.82 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $320.07 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.85 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts forecast that United Bankshares, Inc. will post 3.72 EPS for the current year.

United Bankshares Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, September 11th will be given a dividend of $0.38 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, September 11th. This represents a $1.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.3%. United Bankshares's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 41.42%.

Insider Activity at United Bankshares

In other news, Director Mark Nesselroad sold 3,200 shares of United Bankshares stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $46.42, for a total value of $148,544.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 32,224 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,495,838.08. The trade was a 9.03% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. 3.16% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Eurizon Capital SGR S.p.A. purchased a new stake in shares of United Bankshares in the fourth quarter valued at about $26,000. Root Financial Partners LLC grew its holdings in shares of United Bankshares by 64.4% during the first quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC now owns 786 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $33,000 after buying an additional 308 shares during the last quarter. Allworth Financial LP purchased a new position in shares of United Bankshares during the second quarter worth about $43,000. Nykredit A S purchased a new position in shares of United Bankshares during the second quarter worth about $52,000. Finally, Rothschild Investment LLC increased its position in United Bankshares by 47.5% in the 4th quarter. Rothschild Investment LLC now owns 1,236 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $47,000 after acquiring an additional 398 shares during the period. 70.80% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

United Bankshares Company Profile

United Bankshares, Inc is a bank holding company headquartered in Charleston, West Virginia. Through its principal subsidiary, United Bank, the company provides community banking services to individuals, businesses, and institutions. Its offerings include checking and savings accounts, consumer and commercial loans, residential mortgages, treasury management, online and mobile banking, wealth management, trust services, and other financial solutions.

United Bankshares operates a regional banking network serving communities in West Virginia, Virginia, Ohio, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and the District of Columbia.

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