UBS Group (NYSE:UBS) Downgraded to Neutral at BNP Paribas

BNP Paribas cut shares of UBS Group (NYSE:UBS) from an outperform rating to a neutral rating in a research note released on Monday morning, Marketbeat reports.

Several other equities analysts have also recently weighed in on the company. StockNews.com upgraded UBS Group from a sell rating to a hold rating in a report on Friday, December 29th. Societe Generale upgraded UBS Group from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 7th. Finally, Morgan Stanley raised UBS Group from an equal weight rating to an overweight rating in a research report on Friday, March 8th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy.

UBS Group Stock Down 0.3 %

Shares of UBS Group stock opened at $27.98 on Monday. The firm has a market cap of $97.37 billion, a PE ratio of 3.12, a P/E/G ratio of 3.23 and a beta of 1.14. The business’s 50 day simple moving average is $29.63 and its 200 day simple moving average is $28.25. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.23, a quick ratio of 1.09 and a current ratio of 1.10. UBS Group has a 52-week low of $18.71 and a 52-week high of $32.13.

UBS Group (NYSE:UBS) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 6th. The bank reported ($0.09) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.09 by ($0.18). The business had revenue of $10.86 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $12.06 billion. UBS Group had a net margin of 43.70% and a return on equity of 7.56%. UBS Group’s revenue for the quarter was up 35.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $0.50 earnings per share. On average, analysts predict that UBS Group will post 1.11 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

UBS Group Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced an annual dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 3rd. Stockholders of record on Thursday, May 2nd will be issued a $0.228 dividend. This represents a dividend yield of 0.82%. This is a boost from UBS Group’s previous annual dividend of $0.18. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, May 1st. UBS Group’s dividend payout ratio is presently 2.45%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On UBS Group

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Anchor Investment Management LLC bought a new position in shares of UBS Group during the 4th quarter worth approximately $28,000. Cary Street Partners Investment Advisory LLC boosted its position in UBS Group by 61.8% during the third quarter. Cary Street Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 1,340 shares of the bank’s stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 512 shares during the period. Opal Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in UBS Group during the first quarter worth $42,000. Harvest Fund Management Co. Ltd increased its holdings in shares of UBS Group by 118.5% in the third quarter. Harvest Fund Management Co. Ltd now owns 1,868 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $46,000 after purchasing an additional 1,013 shares during the last quarter. Finally, WASHINGTON TRUST Co bought a new position in shares of UBS Group in the third quarter valued at about $48,000.

UBS Group Company Profile

UBS Group AG provides financial advice and solutions to private, institutional, and corporate clients worldwide. It operates through five divisions: Global Wealth Management, Personal & Corporate Banking, Asset Management, Investment Bank, and Non-core and Legacy. The company offers investment advice, estate and wealth planning, investing, corporate and banking, and investment management, as well as mortgage, securities-based, and structured lending solutions.