Wall Street Zen Upgrades UWM (NYSE:UWMC) to Hold

UWM (NYSE:UWMC) was upgraded by stock analysts at Wall Street Zen from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note issued on Saturday.

A number of other analysts have also commented on UWMC. Barclays cut their price target on UWM from $7.00 to $6.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday. Morgan Stanley set a $6.00 target price on UWM in a research note on Tuesday, December 16th. Jefferies Financial Group set a $4.40 price target on UWM in a research report on Wednesday. The Goldman Sachs Group set a $5.00 price objective on shares of UWM in a report on Tuesday, January 6th. Finally, UBS Group boosted their price objective on shares of UWM from $5.50 to $6.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 12th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $6.24.

UWM Stock Down 3.0%

Shares of UWMC stock opened at $4.41 on Friday. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $4.99 and a 200-day moving average of $5.45. The company has a quick ratio of 1.45, a current ratio of 1.45 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.40. UWM has a 12-month low of $3.79 and a 12-month high of $7.14. The company has a market capitalization of $7.06 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 73.57 and a beta of 1.85.

UWM (NYSE:UWMC) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 25th. The company reported $0.08 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.09 by ($0.01). The company had revenue of $945.25 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $759.12 million. UWM had a net margin of 0.87% and a negative return on equity of 1.33%. As a group, equities research analysts predict that UWM will post 0.2 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other UWM news, CEO Ishbia Mat sold 632,874 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $4.03, for a total transaction of $2,550,482.22. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 3,330,659 shares in the company, valued at $13,422,555.77. This trade represents a 15.97% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Insiders have sold 20,348,052 shares of company stock worth $103,845,430 over the last quarter. 87.50% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On UWM

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of UWMC. Allworth Financial LP boosted its holdings in UWM by 5,681.9% in the 3rd quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 4,163 shares of the company’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 4,091 shares during the period. GAMMA Investing LLC raised its position in shares of UWM by 408.7% in the third quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 5,407 shares of the company’s stock worth $33,000 after buying an additional 4,344 shares in the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. bought a new stake in UWM during the second quarter valued at $35,000. Farther Finance Advisors LLC grew its position in UWM by 1,410.7% during the fourth quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 8,596 shares of the company’s stock worth $38,000 after buying an additional 8,027 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Advisory Services Network LLC bought a new position in UWM in the 3rd quarter worth about $38,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 53.59% of the company’s stock.

Key UWM News

Here are the key news stories impacting UWM this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Revenue and volume beat — UWM reported roughly $945M in Q4 revenue and its highest quarterly loan origination volume since 2021, showing demand and market‑share execution that support topline momentum. Q4 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Quarterly dividend announced ($0.10/share; ~9% yield) — that payout can attract income‑oriented holders and provide a baseline of demand. Dividend Announcement
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst note roundups — recent analyst commentaries summarize mixed views after Q4; some maintain overweight/hold ratings while re‑setting targets. These pieces consolidate opinion but don’t move consensus decisively. Benzinga Analysts Roundup Yahoo: What Analysts Are Saying
• Neutral Sentiment: Options flow spike — unusually high call buying was reported around earnings (large volume vs. average). This signals speculative positioning or hedging but is ambiguous for longer‑term direction. Options Activity
• Negative Sentiment: EPS miss and weak margins — reported EPS (~$0.06–$0.08) came below consensus (~$0.09) and net margin/ROE remain pressured; earnings disappointment was a primary trigger for selling. Earnings Call Transcript
• Negative Sentiment: Conservative, wide Q1 guidance — the $650M–$850M revenue band increases near‑term uncertainty and left some analysts and traders disappointed. Call Transcript
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling — CEO Mat Ishbia sold a sizable block (~632,874 shares on Feb. 25; SEC filing), which amplified negative sentiment despite possible liquidity reasons. SEC Filing
• Negative Sentiment: Price target trims and market reaction — Barclays and Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lowered targets to $6.00 and moved ratings to market‑perform/overweight; the cuts and the EPS miss helped trigger a sharp intraday selloff (reports of a ~12% plunge and a new 12‑month low). MSN: Stock Plunge

About UWM

United Wholesale Mortgage (NYSE: UWMC) is a leading mortgage lender in the United States specializing in the wholesale channel. The company partners with independent mortgage brokers, community banks and credit unions to offer a full suite of residential mortgage products. Through its network of third-party originators, United Wholesale Mortgage underwrites, funds and closes loans, allowing its partners to focus on customer acquisition and service.

The company’s product offerings include conventional fixed- and adjustable-rate mortgages, Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loans, Veterans Affairs (VA) loans, U.S.