Short Interest in United Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ:UBCP) Rises By 26.2%

United Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ:UBCP - Get Free Report) saw a large increase in short interest in May. As of May 15th, there was short interest totalling 7,700 shares, an increase of 26.2% from the April 30th total of 6,100 shares. Approximately 0.2% of the company's stock are sold short. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 6,100 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 1.3 days.

United Bancorp Price Performance

Shares of UBCP stock remained flat at $13.57 during trading hours on Wednesday. The stock had a trading volume of 1,089 shares, compared to its average volume of 6,635. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.51, a quick ratio of 0.79 and a current ratio of 0.79. United Bancorp has a fifty-two week low of $11.40 and a fifty-two week high of $14.78. The firm has a market cap of $78.62 million, a P/E ratio of 10.69 and a beta of 0.34. The business's 50-day simple moving average is $13.03 and its 200 day simple moving average is $13.12.

United Bancorp (NASDAQ:UBCP - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Friday, May 9th. The financial services provider reported $0.32 earnings per share for the quarter. The business had revenue of $7.53 million for the quarter. United Bancorp had a net margin of 16.83% and a return on equity of 11.73%.

United Bancorp Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 20th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, June 10th will be paid a dividend of $0.185 per share. This is a positive change from United Bancorp's previous quarterly dividend of $0.18. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, June 10th. This represents a $0.74 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.45%. United Bancorp's payout ratio is 59.68%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director Gary W. Glessner purchased 3,497 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 22nd. The shares were bought at an average price of $13.62 per share, for a total transaction of $47,629.14. Following the acquisition, the director now directly owns 100,529 shares in the company, valued at $1,369,204.98. This trade represents a 3.60% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Brian M. Hendershot purchased 2,207 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 22nd. The shares were purchased at an average price of $13.62 per share, with a total value of $30,059.34. Following the acquisition, the director now directly owns 31,204 shares in the company, valued at $424,998.48. This represents a 7.61% increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Insiders have acquired a total of 11,009 shares of company stock worth $149,943 in the last ninety days. 12.93% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On United Bancorp

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of UBCP. Tallon Kerry Patrick purchased a new position in United Bancorp during the 4th quarter valued at about $584,000. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP grew its holdings in United Bancorp by 5.5% during the 4th quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 40,956 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $528,000 after buying an additional 2,125 shares during the last quarter. Wealthedge Investment Advisors LLC purchased a new position in United Bancorp during the fourth quarter worth $258,000. Northern Trust Corp increased its position in United Bancorp by 40.2% during the fourth quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 25,314 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $329,000 after buying an additional 7,264 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Founders Financial Alliance LLC raised its holdings in shares of United Bancorp by 11.0% in the fourth quarter. Founders Financial Alliance LLC now owns 36,642 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $476,000 after acquiring an additional 3,633 shares during the last quarter. 15.42% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.