United Bankshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:UBSI) Stake Raised by Barclays PLC

Barclays PLC increased its holdings in United Bankshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:UBSI) by 26.0% in the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 339,899 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 70,047 shares during the quarter. Barclays PLC’s holdings in United Bankshares were worth $12,762,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. bought a new position in shares of United Bankshares in the fourth quarter worth $26,000. Jones Financial Companies Lllp lifted 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 worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 310 shares during the period. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB grew its position in United Bankshares by 1,921.1% in 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 buying an additional 1,364 shares in the last quarter. Nomura Asset Management Co. Ltd. raised its position 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 buying 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 institutional investors and hedge funds.

United Bankshares Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ UBSI opened at $32.95 on Tuesday. United Bankshares, Inc. has a 52-week low of $30.51 and a 52-week high of $44.43. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.73 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.03 and a beta of 0.91. The company has a quick ratio of 0.98, a current ratio of 0.98 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $34.57 and its 200 day simple moving average is $37.50.

United Bankshares (NASDAQ:UBSI) last posted its quarterly earnings data 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 prior year, the firm posted $0.59 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that United Bankshares, Inc. will post 2.81 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

United Bankshares Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, April 1st. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 14th were given a dividend of $0.37 per share. This represents a $1.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.49%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, March 14th. United Bankshares’s payout ratio is 54.01%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

UBSI has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Piper Sandler restated a “neutral” rating and issued a $38.50 target price on shares of United Bankshares in a research report on Wednesday, March 12th. Stephens restated an “equal weight” rating and issued a $43.00 price objective on shares of United Bankshares in a report on Monday, January 27th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lowered their target price on United Bankshares from $46.00 to $45.00 and set a “market perform” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, January 27th. Finally, StockNews.com lowered shares of United Bankshares from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Monday, January 27th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and four have assigned a hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $41.88.

Insider Transactions at United Bankshares

In other United Bankshares news, Director Sara Dumond acquired 2,600 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, March 24th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $35.01 per share, for a total transaction of $91,026.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 5,054 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $176,940.54. The trade was a 105.95 % increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 3.66% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

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.