United Community Banks (NYSE:UCB) EVP Richard Bradshaw Sells 1,654 Shares

United Community Banks, Inc. (NYSE:UCB) EVP Richard Bradshaw sold 1,654 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, October 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $30.23, for a total value of $50,000.42. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 75,226 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,274,081.98. This represents a 2.15% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink.

United Community Banks Stock Down 0.9%

Shares of UCB stock opened at $29.79 on Wednesday. United Community Banks, Inc. has a 12 month low of $22.93 and a 12 month high of $35.38. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.62 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.82 and a beta of 0.83. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $31.77. The company has a current ratio of 0.80, a quick ratio of 0.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.04.

United Community Banks (NYSE:UCB) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, October 22nd. The company reported $0.75 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.70 by $0.05. The company had revenue of $276.85 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $270.85 million. United Community Banks had a return on equity of 9.42% and a net margin of 20.67%.The company’s quarterly revenue was up 27.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $0.57 earnings per share.

United Community Banks Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, October 3rd. Investors of record on Monday, September 15th were paid a dividend of $0.25 per share. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.4%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, September 15th. This is an increase from United Community Banks’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.24. United Community Banks’s dividend payout ratio is currently 39.68%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have recently commented on the stock. DA Davidson upped their price objective on shares of United Community Banks from $34.00 to $36.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, July 24th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upped their price target on United Community Banks from $32.00 to $34.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a report on Monday, July 28th. Wall Street Zen raised United Community Banks from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, July 26th. Hovde Group upped their price target on United Community Banks from $35.00 to $36.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, July 24th. Finally, Raymond James Financial lowered United Community Banks from a “moderate buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 8th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $35.33.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On United Community Banks

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. M&T Bank Corp acquired a new position in shares of United Community Banks in the 1st quarter worth approximately $926,000. Amalgamated Bank acquired a new position in United Community Banks during the first quarter worth $957,000. Principal Financial Group Inc. acquired a new position in United Community Banks during the first quarter worth $16,721,000. GAMMA Investing LLC acquired a new position in United Community Banks during the first quarter worth $132,000. Finally, PNC Financial Services Group Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of United Community Banks during the 1st quarter worth about $460,000. 82.29% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About United Community Banks

United Community Banks, Inc operates as the financial holding company for United Community Bank that provides financial products and services to commercial, retail, government, education, energy, health care, and real estate sectors. The company accepts various deposit products, including checking, savings, money market, and other deposit accounts.