Union Bankshares (NASDAQ:UNB) Downgraded by StockNews.com to “Sell”

StockNews.com downgraded shares of Union Bankshares (NASDAQ:UNB) from a hold rating to a sell rating in a research note issued to investors on Tuesday morning.

Union Bankshares Stock Performance

Shares of UNB opened at $34.90 on Tuesday. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $30.06 and a 200 day moving average of $26.14. The company has a market capitalization of $157.75 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.90 and a beta of 0.78. Union Bankshares has a 12 month low of $21.00 and a 12 month high of $37.70. The company has a current ratio of 0.83, a quick ratio of 0.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22.

Union Bankshares (NASDAQ:UNB) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, October 16th. The bank reported $0.29 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. Union Bankshares had a return on equity of 13.14% and a net margin of 11.74%.

Union Bankshares Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, November 7th. Shareholders of record on Saturday, October 26th were paid a $0.36 dividend. This represents a $1.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.13%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, October 25th. Union Bankshares’s payout ratio is 73.85%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Union Bankshares

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Community Financial Services Group LLC purchased a new stake in Union Bankshares in the 3rd quarter worth about $220,000. Renaissance Technologies LLC boosted its position in Union Bankshares by 7.7% during the second quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 14,032 shares of the bank’s stock worth $301,000 after purchasing an additional 1,000 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP raised its position in shares of Union Bankshares by 10.4% in the second quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 30,924 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $664,000 after purchasing an additional 2,914 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Union Bankshares by 3.0% during the 3rd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 40,503 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $1,050,000 after buying an additional 1,188 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Cardinal Capital Management boosted its holdings in Union Bankshares by 15.1% in the 3rd quarter. Cardinal Capital Management now owns 74,413 shares of the bank’s stock worth $1,930,000 after buying an additional 9,784 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 14.84% of the company’s stock.

About Union Bankshares

Union Bankshares, Inc operates as the bank holding company for Union Bank that provides retail, commercial, and municipal banking products and services in northern Vermont and New Hampshire. It offers retail depository services, such as personal checking, savings, money market, IRA/SEP/KEOGH, and health savings accounts, as well as certificates of deposit.