UBS Group AG $UBS Stock Holdings Lifted by Pictet Asset Management Holding SA

Pictet Asset Management Holding SA boosted its stake in UBS Group AG (NYSE:UBS) by 1.8% during the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 35,932,192 shares of the bank’s stock after purchasing an additional 629,310 shares during the quarter. UBS Group comprises 1.6% of Pictet Asset Management Holding SA’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 7th biggest position. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA’s holdings in UBS Group were worth $1,676,302,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Flagship Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in UBS Group during the third quarter worth $29,000. Larson Financial Group LLC grew its position in shares of UBS Group by 118.4% in the third quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 821 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $34,000 after purchasing an additional 445 shares during the period. Private Trust Co. NA increased its stake in shares of UBS Group by 75.2% during the third quarter. Private Trust Co. NA now owns 853 shares of the bank’s stock worth $35,000 after purchasing an additional 366 shares in the last quarter. JPL Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of UBS Group during the third quarter worth about $37,000. Finally, Salomon & Ludwin LLC raised its position in shares of UBS Group by 2,566.7% during the 3rd quarter. Salomon & Ludwin LLC now owns 1,120 shares of the bank’s stock worth $46,000 after purchasing an additional 1,078 shares during the last quarter.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

UBS has been the topic of a number of research reports. The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a “neutral” rating on shares of UBS Group in a research note on Friday, February 6th. Zacks Research lowered UBS Group from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 15th. Morgan Stanley reissued an “underweight” rating on shares of UBS Group in a report on Thursday. Citigroup restated a “neutral” rating on shares of UBS Group in a research report on Thursday. Finally, Barclays raised UBS Group from an “underweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Monday, April 20th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have issued a Buy rating, six have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $60.30.

UBS Group Stock Performance

NYSE:UBS opened at $41.45 on Monday. The company has a market cap of $129.49 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.56, a P/E/G ratio of 0.78 and a beta of 1.16. UBS Group AG has a twelve month low of $29.73 and a twelve month high of $49.36. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $40.13 and its 200-day moving average price is $41.70. The company has a current ratio of 1.19, a quick ratio of 1.19 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.63.

UBS Group (NYSE:UBS) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 4th. The bank reported $0.37 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.25 by $0.12. The company had revenue of $12.20 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $9.88 billion. UBS Group had a net margin of 10.88% and a return on equity of 8.68%. UBS Group’s revenue was up 10.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.23 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that UBS Group AG will post 3.21 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

UBS Group Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a special dividend, which was paid on Thursday, April 23rd. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, April 22nd were issued a dividend of $0.55 per share. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, April 22nd. UBS Group’s payout ratio is currently 15.25%.

Key Stories Impacting UBS Group

Here are the key news stories impacting UBS Group this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrade/note highlighting tailwinds — Bank of America notes capital tailwinds, wealth-management growth and buybacks that support upside potential, which can bolster investor confidence and offset regulatory concerns. UBS: Capital Tailwinds, Wealth Management Growth, and Buybacks Support Upside Potential
• Neutral Sentiment: UBS published an official statement on Swiss regulatory capital announcements — the company is engaging with regulators and quantifying impacts, which reduces uncertainty but doesn’t eliminate the capital-hit risk. Management communication can stabilize sentiment. UBS statement on regulatory capital announcements made by the Swiss government
• Neutral Sentiment: UBS ceasing to be a substantial shareholder in Boss Energy is a routine portfolio change for the bank’s asset-management arms and is unlikely to move UBS shares materially. UBS Group Ceases to Be Substantial Shareholder in Boss Energy
• Negative Sentiment: Swiss government proposal would require a capital increase of about $20 billion for UBS if a planned Swiss separation proceeds — a large capital raise could dilute equity, raise funding costs, and weigh on the share price. UBS faces US$20 billion hike in capital needs as Swiss split grows
• Negative Sentiment: Coverage and commentary argue the proposed Swiss reform package “dodges the real issues,” highlighting ongoing political and regulatory uncertainty in Switzerland that could prolong volatility for UBS shares. UBS and Switzerland: proposed reform package dodges the real issues
• Negative Sentiment: UBS says the Swiss executive order would create a roughly $4 billion capital impact — a smaller but immediate hit to regulatory capital that investors will factor into capital planning and potential return metrics. UBS sees $4 billion capital impact from Swiss executive order

UBS Group Profile

UBS Group AG is a Swiss multinational financial services firm that provides a broad range of banking and capital markets services to private, institutional and corporate clients. Headquartered in Zurich, UBS operates as a universal bank with a primary focus on wealth management, asset management, investment banking and retail and commercial banking in Switzerland. The firm serves high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth individuals, pension funds, corporations and institutional investors through a global network of offices.

Key business activities include global wealth management—offering financial planning, investment advisory, discretionary portfolio management and custody services—alongside asset management products for institutional and retail investors.