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

United Bankshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:UBSI) was the target of a large growth in short interest in December. As of December 15th, there was short interest totalling 2,820,000 shares, a growth of 19.0% from the November 30th total of 2,370,000 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 520,100 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 5.4 days. Currently, 2.1% of the shares of the stock are short sold.

Insider Transactions at United Bankshares

In related news, Director Mark R. Nesselroad sold 6,000 shares of United Bankshares 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 transaction, the director now owns 35,424 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,387,203.84. This trade represents a 14.48 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director J Paul Mcnamara sold 2,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $42.86, for a total value of $107,150.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 63,409 shares in the company, valued at $2,717,709.74. The trade was a 3.79 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 13,500 shares of company stock valued at $542,110 in the last ninety days. Corporate insiders own 3.66% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On United Bankshares

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. UMB Bank n.a. increased its position in shares of United Bankshares by 237.6% during the third quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 844 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $31,000 after acquiring an additional 594 shares during the period. GAMMA Investing LLC increased its holdings in United Bankshares by 34.6% during the 3rd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 2,079 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $77,000 after purchasing an additional 534 shares during the period. Marathon Strategic Advisors LLC bought a new stake in United Bankshares during the 3rd quarter valued at $206,000. Quest Partners LLC lifted its holdings in shares of United Bankshares by 377.2% in the 3rd quarter. Quest Partners LLC now owns 5,641 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $209,000 after buying an additional 4,459 shares during the period. Finally, Centiva Capital LP bought a new position in shares of United Bankshares during the 3rd quarter worth $213,000. 70.80% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

United Bankshares Stock Down 0.6 %

Shares of NASDAQ:UBSI opened at $37.64 on Tuesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $5.09 billion, a PE ratio of 14.26 and a beta of 1.01. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $40.21 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $37.40. United Bankshares has a 1 year low of $30.68 and a 1 year high of $44.43. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11, a current ratio of 0.97 and a quick ratio of 0.96.

United Bankshares (NASDAQ:UBSI) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 24th. The financial services provider reported $0.70 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.67 by $0.03. United Bankshares had a return on equity of 7.58% and a net margin of 22.05%. The company had revenue of $414.67 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $260.30 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $0.71 EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that United Bankshares will post 2.73 EPS for the current year.

United Bankshares Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, January 2nd. Investors of record on Friday, December 13th will be paid a $0.37 dividend. This represents a $1.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.93%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, December 13th. United Bankshares’s dividend payout ratio is presently 56.06%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Separately, StockNews.com upgraded United Bankshares from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, November 13th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and one has issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $40.25.

About United Bankshares

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.