Union Bankshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:UNB) Short Interest Update

Union Bankshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:UNB - Get Free Report) experienced a significant increase in short interest during December. As of December 15th, the total short interest reached 12,600 shares, which is double the total of 6,300 shares from November 30th. Given the average daily trading volume of 7,800 shares, the current short-interest ratio stands at 1.6 days. Approximately 0.3% of the company's total shares are currently sold short.

Union Bankshares Stock Performance

On Friday, shares of NASDAQ UNB rose by 1.1%, climbing $0.30 to reach $28.70. The trading volume for the day was 3,287 shares, compared to the usual average volume of 6,002 shares. Union Bankshares has a market capitalization of $129.87 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.72, and a beta of 0.78. Over the past year, the stock hit a low of $21.00 and a high of $37.70. Currently, the company's 50-day moving average is $31.45, and the 200-day moving average is $26.84. Financial metrics include a current ratio of 0.83, a quick ratio of 0.82, and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22.

Quarterly Earnings Report

Union Bankshares released its quarterly earnings data on October 16th. The bank reported earnings per share of $0.29 for that quarter, showing a return on equity of 13.14% and a net profit margin of 11.74%.

Recent Dividend Declaration

The company announced a quarterly dividend recently, which was paid out on November 7th. Shareholders who were on record as of October 26th received a dividend of $0.36 per share. The ex-dividend date was on October 25th. This translates to an annualized dividend of $1.44, bringing a yield of 5.02%. Currently, the dividend payout ratio stands at 73.85% for Union Bankshares.

Institutional Investments in Union Bankshares

Several hedge funds and institutional investors have been active in buying and selling shares of Union Bankshares. Renaissance Technologies LLC increased its stake by 7.7% in the second quarter, owning 14,032 shares worth $301,000 after acquiring an additional 1,000 shares. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its holdings by 3.0% in the third quarter, owning 40,503 shares valued at $1,050,000 after a purchase of 1,188 additional shares. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP increased its position by 10.4% in the second quarter, now holding 30,924 shares worth $664,000. Community Financial Services Group LLC also established a new position in the third quarter, worth $220,000. Furthermore, Cardinal Capital Management raised its holdings by 15.1%, now owning 74,413 shares valued at $1,930,000. Overall, institutional investors control 14.84% of the company's stock.

Analysts Update Price Targets

In recent updates, StockNews.com has upgraded Union Bankshares from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating.

About Union Bankshares

Union Bankshares, Inc. operates as the bank holding company for Union Bank, which provides a variety of banking products and services in the northern Vermont and New Hampshire areas. These services include retail depository options such as personal checking, savings, money market accounts, IRAs, and health savings accounts, along with certificates of deposit.

Banking, Finance, Stocks