United Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ:UBCP) Sees Significant Growth in Short Interest

United Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ:UBCP) saw a large growth in short interest during the month of May. As of May 15th, there was short interest totalling 7,700 shares, a growth of 26.2% from the April 30th total of 6,100 shares. Approximately 0.2% of the company’s shares are sold short. Based on an average trading volume of 6,100 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 1.3 days.

United Bancorp Price Performance

Shares of United Bancorp stock opened at $13.57 on Thursday. The company has a current ratio of 0.79, a quick ratio of 0.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.51. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $13.05 and a 200 day moving average price of $13.12. The stock has a market cap of $78.62 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.69 and a beta of 0.34. United Bancorp has a twelve month low of $11.40 and a twelve month high of $14.78.

United Bancorp (NASDAQ:UBCP) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Friday, May 9th. The financial services provider reported $0.32 earnings per share for the quarter. The company had revenue of $7.53 million during the quarter. United Bancorp had a net margin of 16.83% and a return on equity of 11.73%.

United Bancorp Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 20th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, June 10th will be given a $0.185 dividend. This is a boost from United Bancorp’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.18. This represents a $0.74 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.45%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, June 10th. United Bancorp’s dividend payout ratio is presently 59.68%.

Insider Buying and Selling at United Bancorp

In other United Bancorp news, CEO Scott A. Everson purchased 2,197 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 22nd. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $13.62 per share, with a total value of $29,923.14. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 140,807 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,917,791.34. This trade represents a 1.59% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Brian M. Hendershot purchased 2,207 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 22nd. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $13.62 per share, with a total value of $30,059.34. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 31,204 shares in the company, valued at $424,998.48. This trade represents a 7.61% increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. In the last three months, insiders acquired 11,009 shares of company stock worth $149,943. Insiders own 12.93% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On United Bancorp

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in UBCP. Tallon Kerry Patrick bought a new position in shares of United Bancorp during the fourth quarter worth about $584,000. Wealthedge Investment Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of United Bancorp during the fourth quarter worth about $258,000. Northern Trust Corp lifted its position in shares of United Bancorp by 40.2% during the fourth quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 25,314 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $329,000 after purchasing an additional 7,264 shares during the last quarter. Founders Financial Alliance LLC lifted its position in shares of United Bancorp by 11.0% during the fourth quarter. Founders Financial Alliance LLC now owns 36,642 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $476,000 after purchasing an additional 3,633 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP lifted its position in shares of United Bancorp by 5.5% during the fourth quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 40,956 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $528,000 after purchasing an additional 2,125 shares during the last quarter. 15.42% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

United Bancorp Company Profile

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.