Short Interest in United Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ:UBCP) Rises By 57.5%

United Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ:UBCP) was the recipient of a significant increase in short interest in May. As of May 29th, there was short interest totaling 13,903 shares, an increase of 57.5% from the May 14th total of 8,826 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 14,491 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 1.0 days. Approximately 0.3% of the shares of the stock are short sold.

United Bancorp Price Performance

NASDAQ UBCP opened at $15.14 on Tuesday. United Bancorp has a 1-year low of $12.47 and a 1-year high of $17.33. The company has a market capitalization of $87.51 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.21 and a beta of 0.33. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $15.68 and its two-hundred day moving average is $14.91. The company has a current ratio of 0.75, a quick ratio of 0.75 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.17.

United Bancorp (NASDAQ:UBCP) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, May 7th. The financial services provider reported $0.33 earnings per share for the quarter. The business had revenue of $7.94 million for the quarter. United Bancorp had a net margin of 16.29% and a return on equity of 11.80%.

United Bancorp Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 19th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, June 10th will be issued a dividend of $0.195 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, June 10th. This represents a $0.78 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.2%. This is an increase from United Bancorp’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.19. United Bancorp’s payout ratio is currently 57.78%.

Insider Activity at United Bancorp

In related news, CEO Scott A. Everson acquired 2,213 shares of United Bancorp stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 27th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $14.93 per share, with a total value of $33,040.09. Following the purchase, the chief executive officer directly owned 143,162 shares in the company, valued at $2,137,408.66. The trade was a 1.57% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director Gary W. Glessner bought 3,527 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 27th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $14.93 per share, for a total transaction of $52,658.11. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 108,002 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,612,469.86. This represents a 3.38% increase in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last 90 days, insiders acquired 7,295 shares of company stock worth $108,914. 13.86% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On United Bancorp

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of UBCP. Vawter Financial Ltd. increased its holdings in shares of United Bancorp by 1.9% in the first quarter. Vawter Financial Ltd. now owns 36,329 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $553,000 after purchasing an additional 671 shares in the last quarter. Commonwealth Financial Services LLC lifted its holdings in United Bancorp by 1.1% during the 1st quarter. Commonwealth Financial Services LLC now owns 87,355 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $1,329,000 after buying an additional 963 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its position in United Bancorp by 2.0% in the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 54,289 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $779,000 after buying an additional 1,073 shares during the last quarter. Osaic Holdings Inc. boosted its position in United Bancorp by 82.4% in the 2nd quarter. Osaic Holdings Inc. now owns 3,035 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $44,000 after buying an additional 1,371 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Russell Investments Group Ltd. acquired a new stake in United Bancorp in the second quarter worth about $43,000. 15.42% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, Weiss Ratings raised shares of United Bancorp from a “hold (c)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 27th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Buy”.

About United Bancorp

United Bancorp, Inc operates as the bank holding company for Unified Bank that provides commercial and retail banking services in Ohio. The company provides range of banking and financial services, which includes accepting demand, savings, and time deposits. It also offers commercial, real estate and consumer loans. United Bancorp, Inc was founded in 1902 and is headquartered in Martins Ferry, Ohio.