United Community Banks (NYSE:UCB) Upgraded at Zacks Research

Zacks Research upgraded shares of United Community Banks (NYSE:UCB) from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating in a research note published on Thursday morning,Zacks.com reports.

Several other equities analysts have also weighed in on the stock. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of United Community Banks in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th. DA Davidson upped their price target on shares of United Community Banks from $38.00 to $39.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised their price objective on shares of United Community Banks from $34.00 to $36.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research report on Thursday. Finally, Stephens boosted their price objective on United Community Banks from $37.00 to $39.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have given a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, United Community Banks currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $37.00.

United Community Banks Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE UCB opened at $33.85 on Thursday. The company has a current ratio of 0.81, a quick ratio of 0.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.03. United Community Banks has a 12 month low of $22.93 and a 12 month high of $34.57. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $31.58 and a 200-day moving average of $31.39. The company has a market capitalization of $4.11 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.97 and a beta of 0.83.

United Community Banks (NYSE:UCB) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 14th. The company reported $0.71 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.73 by ($0.02). United Community Banks had a net margin of 21.35% and a return on equity of 9.49%. The business had revenue of $278.39 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $273.80 million. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $0.61 EPS. The firm’s revenue was up 11.0% on a year-over-year basis.

United Community Banks announced that its Board of Directors has initiated a stock repurchase plan on Monday, December 8th that authorizes the company to repurchase $100.00 million in shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the company to purchase up to 2.6% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are typically an indication that the company’s management believes its stock is undervalued.

United Community Banks Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, January 5th. Shareholders of record on Monday, December 15th were given a dividend of $0.25 per share. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.0%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, December 15th. United Community Banks’s dividend payout ratio is presently 38.31%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, EVP Richard Bradshaw sold 1,654 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, October 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $30.23, for a total transaction of $50,000.42. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 75,226 shares in the company, valued at approximately $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. 0.43% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of UCB. Royal Bank of Canada lifted its position in United Community Banks by 7.0% during the first quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 55,319 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,557,000 after purchasing an additional 3,617 shares during the period. AQR Capital Management LLC boosted its position in shares of United Community Banks by 176.2% during the 1st quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 26,530 shares of the company’s stock worth $746,000 after acquiring an additional 16,925 shares in the last quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. increased its stake in United Community Banks by 4.6% in the first quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 71,211 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,003,000 after acquiring an additional 3,115 shares during the last quarter. Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd acquired a new position in United Community Banks during the first quarter valued at approximately $219,000. Finally, United Services Automobile Association acquired a new position in United Community Banks during the first quarter valued at approximately $204,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 82.29% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting United Community Banks

Here are the key news stories impacting United Community Banks this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks added UCB to multiple Rank #1 (Strong Buy) lists today — momentum, new strong-buy additions, and income stock picks — which can attract buy-side inflows and momentum traders. Best Momentum Stocks to Buy for Jan. 16
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks also listed UCB among its “New Strong Buy Stocks” and its “Best Income Stocks” for Jan. 16 — more third‑party buy signals that can support demand for the shares. New Strong Buy Stocks for January 16th
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts raised forecasts after Q4 results, indicating adjustments to estimates that may support higher valuations going forward. United Community Banks Analysts Increase Their Forecasts Following Q4 Earnings
• Positive Sentiment: Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised its price target to $36 (market‑perform), signaling modest upside from current levels and providing a reference for investors. Benzinga
• Neutral Sentiment: The company released Q4 figures and an earnings-call recap noting strong revenue growth but EPS roughly in line / slightly below expectations — mixed fundamentals that explain both selling and analyst support. United Community Banks Inc (UCB) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Highlights
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage note: Raymond James kept a “hold” on UCB, which may temper upside from some investors awaiting clearer catalysts. Raymond James Remains a Hold on United Community Banks (UCB)
• Neutral Sentiment: Market pieces are assessing UCB’s valuation as trading near analyst fair-value estimates, suggesting limited near-term upside unless growth/outlook improves. Assessing United Community Banks (UCB) Valuation
• Neutral Sentiment: Discussion of UCB as a dividend/growth dividend candidate — useful for income investors but less likely to move the stock quickly. Are You Looking for a High-Growth Dividend Stock?
• Negative Sentiment: Shares gapped down after the earnings release, cited as “weak” by market reports — that immediate selloff is the main reason for today’s price decline. United Community Banks (NYSE:UCB) Shares Gap Down Following Weak Earnings

About United Community Banks

United Community Banks, Inc (NYSE: UCB) is a bank holding company headquartered in Blairsville, Georgia. It operates primarily through its subsidiary, United Community Bank, providing a broad range of banking and financial services to individual, business and governmental customers. The company’s core offerings include deposit accounts, commercial and consumer lending, mortgage origination, treasury and cash management services, and wealth management.

In addition to traditional banking products such as checking, savings and money market accounts, United Community Bank specializes in commercial real estate financing, small business administration (SBA) loans, equipment financing and agricultural lending.