Short Interest in United Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ:UBCP) Drops By 51.9%

Key Points

• Short Interest Decline: United Bancorp, Inc. experienced a significant drop in short interest, falling 51.9% from 12,900 shares to 6,200 shares as of August 31st.
• Increased Dividend: The company announced a quarterly dividend of $0.1875 per share, up from $0.19, resulting in an annualized dividend of $0.75 and a yield of 5.3%.
• Stock Performance: United Bancorp's stock is currently down 2.7%, with a trading price of $14.02, and has seen a 52-week range between $11.70 and $15.64.

United Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ:UBCP - Get Free Report) was the recipient of a large drop in short interest in the month of August. As of August 31st, there was short interest totaling 6,200 shares, a drop of 51.9% from the August 15th total of 12,900 shares. Approximately 0.1% of the shares of the stock are short sold. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 4,400 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 1.4 days. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 4,400 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 1.4 days. Approximately 0.1% of the shares of the stock are short sold.

United Bancorp Price Performance

United Bancorp stock traded down $0.46 during trading hours on Thursday, hitting $13.80. 3,591 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 4,853. The firm has a market cap of $79.66 million, a P/E ratio of 11.06 and a beta of 0.39. The company has a quick ratio of 0.81, a current ratio of 0.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.66. The firm's 50-day simple moving average is $14.29 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $13.67. United Bancorp has a 1-year low of $11.96 and a 1-year high of $15.64.

United Bancorp (NASDAQ:UBCP - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, July 31st. The financial services provider reported $0.33 EPS for the quarter. The firm had revenue of $7.99 million for the quarter. United Bancorp had a net margin of 16.44% and a return on equity of 11.96%.

United Bancorp Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 19th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, September 10th will be given a dividend of $0.1875 per share. This is a positive change from United Bancorp's previous quarterly dividend of $0.19. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, September 10th. This represents a $0.75 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.4%. United Bancorp's payout ratio is 59.06%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On United Bancorp

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Osaic Holdings Inc. boosted its position in shares of United Bancorp by 82.4% during the 2nd quarter. Osaic Holdings Inc. now owns 3,035 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $44,000 after purchasing an additional 1,371 shares in the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. bought a new position in shares of United Bancorp during the 2nd quarter valued at about $64,000. Russell Investments Group Ltd. bought a new position in shares of United Bancorp during the 2nd quarter valued at about $43,000. Commonwealth Financial Services LLC boosted its position in shares of United Bancorp by 2.3% during the 2nd quarter. Commonwealth Financial Services LLC now owns 84,356 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $1,265,000 after purchasing an additional 1,894 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Post Resch Tallon Group Inc. boosted its position in shares of United Bancorp by 3.0% during the 1st quarter. Post Resch Tallon Group Inc. now owns 45,425 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $593,000 after purchasing an additional 1,325 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 15.42% of the company's stock.

About United Bancorp

United Bancorp, Inc operates as the bank holding company for Unified Bank that provides commercial and retail banking services in Ohio. The company provides range of banking and financial services, which includes accepting demand, savings, and time deposits. It also offers commercial, real estate and consumer loans.