The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company Has $35.55 Million Position in Univest Financial Co. (NASDAQ:UVSP)

The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company grew its stake in Univest Financial Co. (NASDAQ:UVSP - Free Report) by 6.7% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 1,204,530 shares of the financial services provider's stock after buying an additional 75,964 shares during the quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company owned 4.15% of Univest Financial worth $35,546,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Barclays PLC increased its holdings in Univest Financial by 91.3% during the 3rd quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 66,603 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $1,875,000 after acquiring an additional 31,783 shares in the last quarter. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB purchased a new position in Univest Financial during the third quarter worth about $79,000. Franklin Resources Inc. boosted its stake in Univest Financial by 35.9% in the 3rd quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 48,312 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $1,348,000 after buying an additional 12,771 shares during the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted its stake in Univest Financial by 64.4% in the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 103,531 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $2,913,000 after buying an additional 40,545 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Janney Montgomery Scott LLC grew its holdings in Univest Financial by 2.0% in the fourth quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC now owns 24,724 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $730,000 after purchasing an additional 488 shares during the period. 75.07% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Univest Financial Stock Performance

Shares of Univest Financial stock traded up $0.79 on Friday, reaching $30.52. 84,831 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 106,128. Univest Financial Co. has a 1-year low of $20.37 and a 1-year high of $32.75. The firm has a market cap of $885.14 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.78 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. The company's 50-day moving average is $28.25 and its two-hundred day moving average is $29.51.

Univest Financial (NASDAQ:UVSP - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 23rd. The financial services provider reported $0.77 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating 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 during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $77.65 million. As a group, research analysts expect that Univest Financial Co. will post 2.36 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Univest Financial Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, May 21st. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, May 7th will be paid a dividend of $0.22 per share. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, May 7th. This is a positive change from Univest Financial's previous quarterly dividend of $0.21. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.88%. Univest Financial's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 32.96%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, Stephens reissued an "equal weight" rating and set a $31.00 price target on shares of Univest Financial in a research report on Thursday, January 23rd.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, Director Anne Vazquez bought 1,250 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 19th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $28.63 per share, with a total value of $35,787.50. Following the purchase, the director now directly owns 6,250 shares in the company, valued at $178,937.50. This trade represents a 25.00 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders have purchased 2,598 shares of company stock worth $75,476 in the last three months. 1.70% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Univest Financial Company Profile

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.