Unity Bancorp (NASDAQ:UNTY) Coverage Initiated at DA Davidson

Key Points

• DA Davidson initiated coverage on Unity Bancorp with a buy rating and a $68 price target, implying about 29% upside from the current share price.
• The company’s latest quarterly results beat estimates, with EPS of $1.40 versus $1.37 expected and revenue of $33.61 million slightly above forecasts.
• Shares were up 1.0% in Friday trading, and the stock remains supported by broader analyst sentiment: five analysts rate it Buy with a consensus target of $64.75.

Equities researchers at DA Davidson initiated coverage on shares of Unity Bancorp (NASDAQ:UNTY - Get Free Report) in a research note issued to investors on Friday, MarketBeat reports. The brokerage set a "buy" rating and a $68.00 price target on the financial services provider's stock. DA Davidson's target price indicates a potential upside of 29.38% from the company's current price.

Several other brokerages have also commented on UNTY. Brean Capital initiated coverage on Unity Bancorp in a research report on Wednesday, April 22nd. They set a "buy" rating and a $61.00 target price on the stock. Piper Sandler boosted their price target on Unity Bancorp from $64.00 to $65.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, January 15th. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded Unity Bancorp from a "buy (b)" rating to a "buy (b+)" rating in a report on Monday, May 4th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Buy" and a consensus target price of $64.75.

Unity Bancorp Trading Up 1.0%

UNTY opened at $52.56 on Friday. Unity Bancorp has a twelve month low of $41.67 and a twelve month high of $57.30. The company has a fifty day moving average of $52.42 and a 200-day moving average of $52.12. The stock has a market cap of $527.70 million, a PE ratio of 8.85 and a beta of 0.60. The company has a quick ratio of 1.16, a current ratio of 1.17 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72.

Unity Bancorp (NASDAQ:UNTY - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, April 14th. The financial services provider reported $1.40 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.37 by $0.03. Unity Bancorp had a net margin of 31.33% and a return on equity of 16.06%. The business had revenue of $33.61 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $33.59 million. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Unity Bancorp will post 5.79 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CEO James A. Hughes sold 1,500 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $54.50, for a total transaction of $81,750.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 173,013 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $9,429,208.50. This represents a 0.86% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Robert H. Dallas II sold 7,725 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $49.60, for a total value of $383,160.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 32,073 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,590,820.80. This trade represents a 19.41% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last three months, insiders have sold 18,388 shares of company stock valued at $933,404. 28.87% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Unity Bancorp

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of UNTY. Renaissance Technologies LLC raised its holdings in Unity Bancorp by 78.4% during the first quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 15,700 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $814,000 after buying an additional 6,900 shares during the last quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio increased its position in shares of Unity Bancorp by 17.3% during the first quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio now owns 3,391 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $176,000 after acquiring an additional 500 shares in the last quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC raised its holdings in shares of Unity Bancorp by 34.2% in the 1st quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC now owns 7,113 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $367,000 after acquiring an additional 1,814 shares during the last quarter. Inspire Investing LLC raised its holdings in shares of Unity Bancorp by 9.4% in the 1st quarter. Inspire Investing LLC now owns 9,945 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $515,000 after acquiring an additional 851 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Sterling Capital Management LLC lifted its position in Unity Bancorp by 1,798.0% in the 1st quarter. Sterling Capital Management LLC now owns 4,650 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $241,000 after acquiring an additional 4,405 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 42.31% of the company's stock.

About Unity Bancorp

Unity Bancorp, Inc is a bank holding company headquartered in Morrisville, Pennsylvania, trading on the NASDAQ under the ticker UNTY. Through its primary subsidiary, Unity Bank, the company delivers a comprehensive suite of commercial and retail banking services to individuals, businesses and municipal clients in its regional markets.

Founded in 1906, Unity Bank maintains a network of conveniently located branches across Bucks County and adjacent areas of southeastern Pennsylvania. The company's deposit portfolio includes checking and savings accounts, money market accounts and certificates of deposit, while its loan offerings encompass commercial real estate, construction and land development, agricultural and consumer lending solutions.

Beyond traditional deposit and lending activities, Unity Bancorp provides cash management and merchant services, as well as internet and mobile banking platforms designed to streamline day-to-day financial operations.

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