United Bankshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:UBSI) Given Consensus Recommendation of "Moderate Buy" by Brokerages

Key Points

• Consensus "Moderate Buy" from five brokerages (2 hold, 2 buy, 1 strong buy) with an average 1-year target price of $44.67.
• United Bankshares beat last quarter's estimates, reporting $0.91 EPS vs. $0.86 expected and revenue of $430.85M vs. $315.5M, with analysts projecting $2.81 EPS for the current year.
• The company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.38 (annualized $1.52), implying a 3.7% yield and a 46.48% payout ratio; record date Mar 13 and payable Apr 1.

Shares of United Bankshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:UBSI - Get Free Report) have been assigned a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" from the five brokerages that are currently covering the stock, MarketBeat reports. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, two have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. The average 1-year target price among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $44.6667.

A number of equities analysts have commented on UBSI shares. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of United Bankshares from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a research report on Friday, February 13th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lifted their target price on shares of United Bankshares from $40.00 to $43.00 and gave the company a "market perform" rating in a report on Monday, January 26th. Zacks Research upgraded shares of United Bankshares from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. Stephens increased their price target on shares of United Bankshares from $40.00 to $44.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Friday, January 23rd. Finally, Piper Sandler restated an "overweight" rating and issued a $47.00 price objective on shares of United Bankshares in a research report on Monday, January 26th.

United Bankshares Trading Up 0.6%

NASDAQ:UBSI opened at $41.08 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $5.73 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.56 and a beta of 0.76. The company has a current ratio of 0.99, a quick ratio of 0.98 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.10. The stock's 50 day simple moving average is $42.00 and its 200-day simple moving average is $39.13. United Bankshares has a 12-month low of $30.50 and a 12-month high of $45.92.

United Bankshares (NASDAQ:UBSI - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 22nd. The financial services provider reported $0.91 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.86 by $0.05. United Bankshares had a return on equity of 8.60% and a net margin of 25.51%.The firm had revenue of $430.85 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $315.50 million. During the same period last year, the company earned $0.69 earnings per share. Equities analysts anticipate that United Bankshares will post 2.81 EPS for the current year.

United Bankshares Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 13th will be paid a dividend of $0.38 per share. This represents a $1.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 13th. United Bankshares's dividend payout ratio is 46.48%.

Institutional Trading of United Bankshares

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd acquired a new stake in United Bankshares in the third quarter valued at $25,000. Eurizon Capital SGR S.p.A. acquired a new position in shares of United Bankshares during the 4th quarter worth $26,000. Bogart Wealth LLC grew its stake in shares of United Bankshares by 655.4% during the 3rd quarter. Bogart Wealth LLC now owns 763 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 662 shares during the period. Rothschild Investment LLC increased its holdings in shares of United Bankshares by 174.8% in the 3rd quarter. Rothschild Investment LLC now owns 838 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 533 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Farther Finance Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of United Bankshares by 196.2% in the 4th quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 856 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 567 shares in the last quarter. 70.80% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

United Bankshares Company Profile

United Bankshares, Inc, headquartered in Charleston, West Virginia, is a bank holding company that provides a full range of financial services through its primary subsidiary, United Bank. The company's core offerings include retail and commercial banking products such as checking and savings accounts, certificates of deposit, personal and business loans, mortgages, and treasury management services. In addition, United Bankshares delivers private banking, wealth management, trust and fiduciary solutions, and investment advisory services to meet the needs of individual, corporate, and institutional clients.

United Bankshares operates an extensive branch network across West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland, the District of Columbia, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and South Carolina.

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