DA Davidson Forecasts Weaker Earnings for United Bankshares

United Bankshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:UBSI) – Stock analysts at DA Davidson lowered their FY2025 earnings estimates for United Bankshares in a report issued on Thursday, December 19th. DA Davidson analyst M. Navas now anticipates that the financial services provider will post earnings per share of $2.86 for the year, down from their prior forecast of $2.88. The consensus estimate for United Bankshares’ current full-year earnings is $2.73 per share.

United Bankshares (NASDAQ:UBSI) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 24th. The financial services provider reported $0.70 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.67 by $0.03. The business had revenue of $414.67 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $260.30 million. United Bankshares had a return on equity of 7.58% and a net margin of 22.05%. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $0.71 earnings per share.

Separately, StockNews.com upgraded shares of United Bankshares from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, November 13th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and one has issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $40.25.

United Bankshares Stock Performance

Shares of UBSI opened at $38.33 on Monday. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $40.21 and a 200 day moving average of $37.26. The company has a market capitalization of $5.18 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.52 and a beta of 1.01. United Bankshares has a 12 month low of $30.68 and a 12 month high of $44.43. The company has a current ratio of 0.97, a quick ratio of 0.96 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On United Bankshares

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC raised its holdings in shares of United Bankshares by 7.6% during the second quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 12,081 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $392,000 after acquiring an additional 858 shares in the last quarter. Innealta Capital LLC purchased a new stake in shares of United Bankshares in the 2nd quarter worth about $116,000. BNP PARIBAS ASSET MANAGEMENT Holding S.A. lifted its position in shares of United Bankshares by 10.2% in the 2nd quarter. BNP PARIBAS ASSET MANAGEMENT Holding S.A. now owns 426,162 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $13,825,000 after purchasing an additional 39,305 shares during the period. Natixis Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of United Bankshares by 3.9% during the 2nd quarter. Natixis Advisors LLC now owns 277,755 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $9,010,000 after purchasing an additional 10,512 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Victory Capital Management Inc. increased its position in shares of United Bankshares by 1.4% during the second quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 3,982,478 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $129,192,000 after buying an additional 55,633 shares during the period. 70.80% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director Mark R. Nesselroad sold 6,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, December 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $39.16, for a total value of $234,960.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 35,424 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,387,203.84. This represents a 14.48 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, Director Peter A. Converse sold 5,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $40.00, for a total value of $200,000.00. Following the sale, the director now owns 434,769 shares in the company, valued at $17,390,760. The trade was a 1.14 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 13,500 shares of company stock worth $542,110 in the last three months. 3.66% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

United Bankshares Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, January 2nd. Investors of record on Friday, December 13th will be issued a dividend of $0.37 per share. This represents a $1.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.86%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, December 13th. United Bankshares’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 56.06%.

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.