BankUnited (NYSE:BKU) Downgraded to “Strong Sell” Rating by Zacks Research

Zacks Research downgraded shares of BankUnited (NYSE:BKU) from a hold rating to a strong sell rating in a research note released on Wednesday,Zacks.com reports. Zacks Research also issued estimates for BankUnited’s Q4 2026 earnings at $1.16 EPS, Q1 2027 earnings at $1.08 EPS, Q3 2027 earnings at $1.12 EPS, FY2027 earnings at $4.52 EPS and Q1 2028 earnings at $1.27 EPS.

Several other research firms have also issued reports on BKU. Barclays dropped their target price on shares of BankUnited from $50.00 to $48.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, August 3rd. Cantor Fitzgerald reissued an “overweight” rating and issued a $56.00 price objective on shares of BankUnited in a research report on Wednesday, July 15th. Wells Fargo & Company started coverage on BankUnited in a research note on Monday, August 10th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $54.00 price objective on the stock. Royal Bank Of Canada cut their target price on BankUnited from $53.00 to $50.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, July 23rd. Finally, Hovde Group decreased their target price on BankUnited from $55.00 to $53.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, July 27th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have given a Buy rating, four have given a Hold rating and three have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $51.64.

BankUnited Price Performance

Shares of BKU opened at $46.34 on Wednesday. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $47.79 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $47.09. The company has a quick ratio of 0.82, a current ratio of 0.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54. BankUnited has a 12-month low of $35.10 and a 12-month high of $52.11. The stock has a market cap of $3.30 billion, a PE ratio of 12.70 and a beta of 1.18.

BankUnited (NYSE:BKU) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, July 22nd. The financial services provider reported $0.97 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.00 by ($0.03). The company had revenue of $284.57 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $290.33 million. BankUnited had a return on equity of 9.13% and a net margin of 14.76%.The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 3.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $0.91 earnings per share. Analysts anticipate that BankUnited will post 4.01 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

BankUnited Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, July 31st. Shareholders of record on Friday, July 10th were paid a $0.33 dividend. This represents a $1.32 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, July 10th. BankUnited’s payout ratio is 36.16%.

Insider Buying and Selling at BankUnited

In related news, insider Jay D. Richards sold 4,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $48.67, for a total value of $194,680.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 40,502 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,971,232.34. The trade was a 8.99% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director Douglas J. Pauls sold 3,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $47.90, for a total value of $143,700.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 42,472 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,034,408.80. The trade was a 6.60% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 8,000 shares of company stock valued at $384,350. Corporate insiders own 1.00% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On BankUnited

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of BKU. Hantz Financial Services Inc. raised its stake in BankUnited by 21.0% in the 4th quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 1,472 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $66,000 after acquiring an additional 255 shares during the period. Covestor Ltd boosted its position in BankUnited by 20.9% during the fourth quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 1,673 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $75,000 after purchasing an additional 289 shares during the period. Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund boosted its position in BankUnited by 1.8% during the fourth quarter. Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund now owns 17,213 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $767,000 after purchasing an additional 300 shares during the period. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC increased its stake in shares of BankUnited by 24.7% in the fourth quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 1,810 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $81,000 after purchasing an additional 358 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Mackenzie Financial Corp raised its position in shares of BankUnited by 2.4% in the third quarter. Mackenzie Financial Corp now owns 19,550 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $746,000 after purchasing an additional 455 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 99.70% of the company’s stock.

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.