StockNews.com Downgrades BankUnited (NYSE:BKU) to Hold

BankUnited (NYSE:BKU) was downgraded by stock analysts at StockNews.com from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a note issued to investors on Tuesday.

Several other research firms have also recently issued reports on BKU. Piper Sandler raised shares of BankUnited from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating and set a $41.00 price objective for the company in a research report on Tuesday, March 11th. Barclays decreased their price target on BankUnited from $45.00 to $44.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Friday, December 20th. Royal Bank of Canada increased their price objective on BankUnited from $42.00 to $43.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a report on Thursday, January 23rd. Compass Point boosted their target price on BankUnited from $42.00 to $49.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, December 10th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on BankUnited from $48.00 to $50.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, January 23rd. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have assigned a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, BankUnited presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $43.18.

BankUnited Price Performance

Shares of NYSE BKU opened at $34.83 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.04, a current ratio of 0.86 and a quick ratio of 0.88. The company has a market cap of $2.60 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.31 and a beta of 1.40. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $38.18 and its two-hundred day moving average is $38.10. BankUnited has a 1-year low of $24.34 and a 1-year high of $44.45.

BankUnited (NYSE:BKU) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, January 22nd. The financial services provider reported $0.91 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.72 by $0.19. BankUnited had a net margin of 11.48% and a return on equity of 8.48%. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $0.26 EPS. Analysts forecast that BankUnited will post 3.13 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at BankUnited

In other BankUnited news, insider Kevin A. Malcolm sold 3,234 shares of BankUnited stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $35.18, for a total value of $113,772.12. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 12,250 shares in the company, valued at approximately $430,955. This trade represents a 20.89 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director Sanjiv Sobti bought 2,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 11th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $32.07 per share, for a total transaction of $64,140.00. Following the acquisition, the director now owns 20,782 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $666,478.74. This trade represents a 10.65 % increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. 1.19% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On BankUnited

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Alpha DNA Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of BankUnited in the 3rd quarter worth $443,000. Principal Financial Group Inc. raised its holdings in BankUnited by 2.9% during the fourth quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 362,487 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $13,836,000 after purchasing an additional 10,064 shares in the last quarter. Proficio Capital Partners LLC purchased a new position in BankUnited during the fourth quarter worth about $766,000. SG Americas Securities LLC lifted its position in BankUnited by 462.0% in the fourth quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 27,955 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $1,067,000 after purchasing an additional 22,981 shares during the period. Finally, BNP Paribas Financial Markets boosted its holdings in BankUnited by 211.5% in the 3rd quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 59,594 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $2,172,000 after purchasing an additional 40,461 shares in the last quarter. 99.70% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About BankUnited

BankUnited, Inc operates as the bank holding company for BankUnited, a national banking association that provides a range of banking services in the United States. The company offers deposit products, such as checking, money market deposit, and savings accounts; certificates of deposit; and treasury, commercial payment, and cash management services.