Insider Buying: Univest Financial Co. (NASDAQ:UVSP) Director Purchases 1,250 Shares of Stock

Univest Financial Co. (NASDAQ:UVSP) Director Anne Vazquez acquired 1,250 shares of Univest Financial stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 19th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $28.63 per share, with a total value of $35,787.50. Following the completion of the purchase, the director now owns 6,250 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $178,937.50. This represents a 25.00 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink.

Univest Financial Price Performance

UVSP stock opened at $28.72 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17, a quick ratio of 1.02 and a current ratio of 1.02. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $29.78 and its 200-day moving average price is $29.45. Univest Financial Co. has a one year low of $18.41 and a one year high of $32.75. The company has a market capitalization of $832.94 million, a PE ratio of 11.09 and a beta of 0.89.

Univest Financial (NASDAQ:UVSP) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 22nd. The financial services provider reported $0.65 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.57 by $0.08. Univest Financial had a net margin of 15.17% and a return on equity of 8.51%. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Univest Financial Co. will post 2.36 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Univest Financial Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, February 19th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, February 5th were issued a dividend of $0.21 per share. This represents a $0.84 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.92%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, February 5th. Univest Financial’s dividend payout ratio is presently 32.43%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Separately, Stephens reissued an “equal weight” rating and set a $31.00 price target on shares of Univest Financial in a report on Thursday, January 23rd.

Institutional Trading of Univest Financial

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Ameriprise Financial Inc. increased its position in Univest Financial by 189.8% in the fourth quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 398,475 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $11,759,000 after purchasing an additional 260,990 shares during the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Univest Financial in the 4th quarter worth $2,299,000. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company increased its holdings in shares of Univest Financial by 6.7% in the 4th quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 1,204,530 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $35,546,000 after buying an additional 75,964 shares during the last quarter. American Century Companies Inc. raised its position in shares of Univest Financial by 12.7% during the 4th quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 632,354 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $18,661,000 after buying an additional 71,265 shares in the last quarter. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted its holdings in shares of Univest Financial by 64.4% in the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 103,531 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $2,913,000 after acquiring an additional 40,545 shares during the last quarter. 75.07% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Univest Financial

Univest Financial Corporation operates as the bank holding company for Univest Bank and Trust Co that provides banking products and services primarily in the United States. It operates through three segments: Banking, Wealth Management, and Insurance. The Banking segment offers a range of banking services, such as deposit taking, loan origination and servicing, mortgage banking, other general banking, and equipment lease financing services for individuals, businesses, municipalities, and nonprofit organizations.