United Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ:UBCP) Short Interest Down 48.5% in July

Key Points

• Short interest fell 48.5% to 8,171 shares as of July 15, representing approximately 0.2% of United Bancorp’s outstanding shares and a short-interest ratio of 0.8 days.
• UBCP shares were flat at $15.50, while the company reported quarterly earnings of $0.36 per share on $8.62 million in revenue. Its return on equity was 11.70% and net margin was 16.55%.
• Insiders purchased 7,295 shares worth about $108,914 over the last quarter, and institutional investors own 15.42% of the stock. Weiss Ratings upgraded UBCP to “buy,” matching the company’s consensus Buy rating.

United Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ:UBCP - Get Free Report) was the recipient of a significant decline in short interest during the month of July. As of July 15th, there was short interest totaling 8,171 shares, a decline of 48.5% from the June 30th total of 15,854 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 10,857 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 0.8 days. Approximately 0.2% of the shares of the stock are short sold.

United Bancorp Stock Performance

Shares of UBCP stock remained flat at $15.50 during midday trading on Wednesday. The company's stock had a trading volume of 10,302 shares, compared to its average volume of 8,014. The firm has a market cap of $89.59 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.23 and a beta of 0.33. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.17, a quick ratio of 0.75 and a current ratio of 0.75. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $15.67 and a 200 day simple moving average of $15.32. United Bancorp has a 1 year low of $12.47 and a 1 year high of $17.33.

United Bancorp (NASDAQ:UBCP - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 23rd. The financial services provider reported $0.36 earnings per share for the quarter. The company had revenue of $8.62 million for the quarter. United Bancorp had a return on equity of 11.70% and a net margin of 16.55%.

Insider Transactions at United Bancorp

In other news, Director Gary W. Glessner acquired 3,527 shares of United Bancorp stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 27th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $14.93 per share, for a total transaction of $52,658.11. Following the transaction, the director owned 108,002 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,612,469.86. This trade represents a 3.38% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CEO Scott A. Everson acquired 2,213 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 27th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $14.93 per share, for a total transaction of $33,040.09. Following the completion of the acquisition, the chief executive officer owned 143,162 shares in the company, valued at $2,137,408.66. This represents a 1.57% increase in their position. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders bought a total of 7,295 shares of company stock valued at $108,914 over the last quarter. Company insiders own 13.86% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of United Bancorp

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of UBCP. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its holdings in shares of United Bancorp by 8.7% during the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 95,346 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $1,332,000 after buying an additional 7,605 shares during the last quarter. Commonwealth Financial Services LLC boosted its position in shares of United Bancorp by 1.1% during the first quarter. Commonwealth Financial Services LLC now owns 87,355 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $1,329,000 after buying an additional 963 shares during the last quarter. Post Resch Tallon Group Inc. increased its holdings in United Bancorp by 29.0% in the 2nd quarter. Post Resch Tallon Group Inc. now owns 55,675 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $884,000 after buying an additional 12,500 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its position in United Bancorp by 2.0% in the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 54,289 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $779,000 after buying an additional 1,073 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Vawter Financial Ltd. lifted its stake in United Bancorp by 1.9% during the 1st quarter. Vawter Financial Ltd. now owns 36,329 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $553,000 after acquiring an additional 671 shares during the period. 15.42% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, Weiss Ratings upgraded United Bancorp from a "hold (c)" rating to a "buy (b)" rating in a report on Wednesday, May 27th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat, United Bancorp has a consensus rating of "Buy".

United Bancorp Company Profile

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. United Bancorp, Inc was founded in 1902 and is headquartered in Martins Ferry, Ohio.

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