Brokerages Set BankUnited, Inc. (NYSE:BKU) Price Target at $43.40

Shares of BankUnited, Inc. (NYSE:BKU) have earned a consensus rating of “Hold” from the eleven ratings firms that are currently covering the firm, Marketbeat.com reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, five have issued a hold recommendation and five have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 12-month target price among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $43.80.

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on BKU shares. Barclays increased their target price on BankUnited from $43.00 to $47.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Friday. Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed a “sector perform” rating and set a $42.00 price objective on shares of BankUnited in a research report on Thursday, October 23rd. Jefferies Financial Group raised BankUnited from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and lifted their target price for the company from $42.00 to $55.00 in a research report on Monday, December 1st. Cantor Fitzgerald restated an “overweight” rating and issued a $44.00 target price on shares of BankUnited in a research note on Thursday, October 23rd. Finally, Hovde Group reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $51.00 price target on shares of BankUnited in a research report on Monday, December 8th.

BankUnited Stock Performance

Shares of BKU opened at $45.26 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $3.40 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.75 and a beta of 1.34. BankUnited has a twelve month low of $28.21 and a twelve month high of $46.92. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a quick ratio of 0.83 and a current ratio of 0.83. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $41.34 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $38.73.

BankUnited (NYSE:BKU) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, October 22nd. The financial services provider reported $0.95 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.84 by $0.11. The business had revenue of $275.68 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $280.33 million. BankUnited had a net margin of 13.98% and a return on equity of 9.18%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was down 7.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business posted $0.81 earnings per share. On average, analysts forecast that BankUnited will post 3.13 EPS for the current fiscal year.

BankUnited Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, October 31st. Investors of record on Friday, October 10th were issued a dividend of $0.31 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, October 10th. This represents a $1.24 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.7%. BankUnited’s dividend payout ratio is presently 34.93%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On BankUnited

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Strs Ohio bought a new stake in BankUnited during the 1st quarter worth about $28,000. Brooklyn Investment Group increased its position in shares of BankUnited by 14,050.0% in the first quarter. Brooklyn Investment Group now owns 849 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $29,000 after acquiring an additional 843 shares during the last quarter. Salomon & Ludwin LLC bought a new stake in BankUnited during the third quarter worth about $34,000. Quarry LP raised its holdings in BankUnited by 158.2% during the third quarter. Quarry LP now owns 940 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $36,000 after acquiring an additional 576 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Bayforest Capital Ltd boosted its position in BankUnited by 32.3% during the second quarter. Bayforest Capital Ltd now owns 1,111 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $40,000 after purchasing an additional 271 shares during the last quarter. 99.70% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About BankUnited

BankUnited, Inc is a bank holding company based in Miami Lakes, Florida, operating through its subsidiary BankUnited, National Association. The company provides a broad range of commercial banking products and services, including deposit accounts, commercial lending and treasury management. It serves middle-market and small-business clients, offering tailored financing solutions across a variety of industry sectors.

The bank’s lending portfolio includes commercial and industrial loans, commercial real estate loans and construction financing, as well as residential mortgage lending.