StockNews.com Upgrades BankUnited (NYSE:BKU) to "Buy"

BankUnited (NYSE:BKU - Get Free Report) was upgraded by stock analysts at StockNews.com from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a note issued to investors on Monday.

Several other brokerages also recently commented on BKU. Barclays lowered their target price on shares of BankUnited from $45.00 to $44.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a report on Friday, December 20th. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their target price on shares of BankUnited from $36.00 to $42.00 and gave the stock a "sell" rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 26th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on BankUnited from $48.00 to $50.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Thursday, January 23rd. Compass Point lifted their price target on BankUnited from $42.00 to $49.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, December 10th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upped their price objective on BankUnited from $38.00 to $45.00 and gave the company a "market perform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 4th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have given a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, BankUnited has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $43.18.

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BankUnited Stock Up 2.6 %

Shares of NYSE BKU traded up $0.85 during midday trading on Monday, hitting $33.30. 1,022,967 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 786,797. BankUnited has a one year low of $24.34 and a one year high of $44.45. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $38.71 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $38.27. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.04, a quick ratio of 0.88 and a current ratio of 0.86. The company has a market cap of $2.49 billion, a PE ratio of 10.81 and a beta of 1.40.

BankUnited (NYSE:BKU - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 22nd. The financial services provider reported $0.91 EPS for the quarter, beating 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 firm posted $0.26 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts predict that BankUnited will post 3.13 EPS for the current 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 transaction of $113,772.12. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 12,250 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $430,955. The trade was a 20.89 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. 1.19% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On BankUnited

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Wolverine Asset Management LLC boosted its position in shares of BankUnited by 25.8% in the 3rd quarter. Wolverine Asset Management LLC now owns 11,061 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $403,000 after purchasing an additional 2,267 shares in the last quarter. Versor Investments LP purchased a new position in BankUnited during the third quarter valued at $302,000. GSA Capital Partners LLP bought a new stake in BankUnited in the third quarter worth $257,000. Aigen Investment Management LP bought a new stake in BankUnited in the third quarter worth $257,000. Finally, Quest Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of BankUnited in the third quarter worth $825,000. Institutional investors own 99.70% of the company's stock.

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.