United Bankshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:UBSI) Short Interest Update

United Bankshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:UBSI) was the target of a large decrease in short interest in February. As of February 15th, there was short interest totalling 2,180,000 shares, a decrease of 17.1% from the January 31st total of 2,630,000 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 595,400 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 3.7 days. Approximately 1.7% of the company’s stock are sold short.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on UBSI shares. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods decreased their price objective on United Bankshares from $46.00 to $45.00 and set a “market perform” rating for the company in a report on Monday, January 27th. Stephens reiterated an “equal weight” rating and set a $43.00 price target on shares of United Bankshares in a research note on Monday, January 27th. Finally, StockNews.com downgraded shares of United Bankshares from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Monday, January 27th.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Mark R. Nesselroad sold 6,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, December 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $39.16, for a total value of $234,960.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 35,424 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,387,203.84. The trade was a 14.48 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Company insiders own 3.66% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On United Bankshares

Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. acquired a new stake in shares of United Bankshares in the fourth quarter valued at about $26,000. Jones Financial Companies Lllp increased its holdings in United Bankshares by 55.8% in the fourth quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 866 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $33,000 after buying an additional 310 shares in the last quarter. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB lifted its position in shares of United Bankshares by 1,921.1% during the 4th quarter. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB now owns 1,435 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $54,000 after acquiring an additional 1,364 shares during the period. Nomura Asset Management Co. Ltd. boosted its stake in shares of United Bankshares by 37.0% during the 4th quarter. Nomura Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 1,480 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $56,000 after acquiring an additional 400 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Headlands Technologies LLC acquired a new stake in shares of United Bankshares in the 4th quarter worth approximately $85,000. 70.80% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

United Bankshares Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:UBSI traded down $0.05 during midday trading on Wednesday, hitting $35.18. The stock had a trading volume of 231,623 shares, compared to its average volume of 514,814. The company has a market capitalization of $4.76 billion, a PE ratio of 12.80 and a beta of 1.02. United Bankshares has a 1 year low of $30.68 and a 1 year high of $44.43. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $37.57 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $38.38. The company has a current ratio of 0.98, a quick ratio of 0.98 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11.

United Bankshares (NASDAQ:UBSI) last released its earnings results on Friday, January 24th. The financial services provider reported $0.69 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.68 by $0.01. United Bankshares had a return on equity of 7.60% and a net margin of 22.94%. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $0.59 EPS. As a group, equities analysts predict that United Bankshares will post 2.81 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

United Bankshares Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 1st. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 14th will be given a $0.37 dividend. This represents a $1.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.21%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 14th. United Bankshares’s payout ratio is 54.01%.

United Bankshares Company Profile

United Bankshares, Inc, through its subsidiaries, primarily provides commercial and retail banking products and services in the United States. It operates through two segments, Community Banking and Mortgage Banking. The company accepts checking, savings, and time and money market accounts; individual retirement accounts; and demand deposits, statement and special savings, and NOW accounts.