Union Bankshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:UNB) Short Interest Down 29.5% in March

Union Bankshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:UNB - Get Free Report) saw a large decline in short interest in the month of March. As of March 15th, there was short interest totalling 22,900 shares, a decline of 29.5% from the February 28th total of 32,500 shares. Approximately 0.6% of the shares of the company are sold short. Based on an average trading volume of 8,200 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 2.8 days.

Union Bankshares Price Performance

UNB stock traded down $0.96 during trading on Thursday, reaching $29.16. The company's stock had a trading volume of 4,702 shares, compared to its average volume of 8,323. The company has a quick ratio of 0.82, a current ratio of 0.83 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22. The company's fifty day moving average is $30.85 and its 200-day moving average is $30.09. The company has a market capitalization of $132.36 million, a P/E ratio of 15.03 and a beta of 0.80. Union Bankshares has a 1 year low of $21.00 and a 1 year high of $37.70.

Union Bankshares (NASDAQ:UNB - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, January 15th. The bank reported $0.67 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. Union Bankshares had a return on equity of 13.09% and a net margin of 11.74%.

Union Bankshares Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, February 6th. Stockholders of record on Saturday, January 25th were given a dividend of $0.36 per share. This represents a $1.44 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.94%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, January 24th. Union Bankshares's payout ratio is currently 74.23%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Separately, StockNews.com raised shares of Union Bankshares from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, March 18th.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Union Bankshares

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in Union Bankshares by 3.0% in the 3rd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 40,503 shares of the bank's stock valued at $1,050,000 after acquiring an additional 1,188 shares during the last quarter. Cardinal Capital Management increased its holdings in shares of Union Bankshares by 2.2% in the fourth quarter. Cardinal Capital Management now owns 76,087 shares of the bank's stock worth $2,200,000 after purchasing an additional 1,674 shares during the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE lifted its position in shares of Union Bankshares by 24.0% in the fourth quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 4,225 shares of the bank's stock worth $122,000 after buying an additional 819 shares in the last quarter. Northern Trust Corp boosted its stake in Union Bankshares by 16.8% during the fourth quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 30,880 shares of the bank's stock valued at $893,000 after buying an additional 4,436 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Alpine Global Management LLC purchased a new position in Union Bankshares during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $269,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 14.84% of the company's stock.

Union Bankshares Company Profile

Union Bankshares, Inc operates as the bank holding company for Union Bank that provides retail, commercial, and municipal banking products and services in northern Vermont and New Hampshire. It offers retail depository services, such as personal checking, savings, money market, IRA/SEP/KEOGH, and health savings accounts, as well as certificates of deposit.