United Bankshares Insider Trades: Routine Portfolio Moves, No Red Flag for Investors

Insider Activity at United Bankshares Inc‑WV: What the Latest Deals Signal for Investors

Recent Sell‑Off by Executive Vice President Gurtis Julie R On February 22, 2026, Gurtis Julie R sold 996 shares of United Bankshares common stock at roughly $44.28 each, reducing her stake from 29,601 to 28,703 shares. The transaction came just one day after a dividend declaration and at a price only 0.01 % above the market close, indicating a routine, possibly tax‑oriented sale rather than a red‑flag signal. The sell was followed by a second sale the next day—898 shares at the same price—bringing her holdings down to 27,805 shares. Together these transactions represent a modest 1.6 % reduction of her total holding, which, relative to her total equity position, is insignificant.

Broader Insider Momentum United Bankshares’ insider activity is robust: the top eleven executives collectively made 11 to 14 trades in the past year, with the Chief Executive and several EVPs executing over 7 to 11 transactions each. This high frequency of moves is typical for a regional bank where board members frequently rebalance portfolios to meet regulatory or personal liquidity needs. Importantly, none of the recent sales appear clustered around earnings releases or regulatory announcements, reducing the likelihood of a coordinated “bearish” stance.

Implications for Investors The current sell‑off by Gurtis Julie R is unlikely to foreshadow a decline in share price. The bank’s fundamentals remain solid: a 52‑week high of $45.93, a price‑to‑earnings ratio of 12.93, and a market cap of $5.94 billion. The dividend declaration of $0.38 per share, announced the day before the sales, reaffirms the company’s commitment to shareholder returns. Analysts note that the stock’s weekly loss of 1.94 % is part of a broader market pullback, not company‑specific weakness. For investors, the message is clear: United Bankshares continues to operate within a healthy valuation band and its insiders are actively managing personal portfolios without signaling distress.

Profile of Gurtis Julie R: A Consistent, Long‑Term Stakeholder Gurtis Julie R’s transaction history illustrates a disciplined approach. Over the past seven years she has alternated between buying and selling in roughly equal measure, with her largest purchase in December 2025 (3,200 shares at $35.04) and a series of sales in 2025 and 2026 that collectively trimmed her position by less than 10 %. She also maintains substantial option holdings (3,200 shares in each of 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020) and a sizable cash‑equivalent holding of 13,733 shares. The pattern suggests she uses insider sales as a tool for portfolio diversification rather than a sign of pessimism about the bank’s prospects. Her long‑term commitment—holding nearly 30,000 shares—indicates confidence in the company’s strategic direction and the regional banking model.

Looking Ahead United Bankshares is poised to benefit from stable deposit growth in the mid‑Atlantic corridor and its diversified loan portfolio. With a modest dividend and a solid earnings base, the company offers a reliable income stream for income‑oriented investors. While insider trades will continue to be monitored—especially any large sell‑offs that could shift the market—current evidence points to a steady trajectory rather than a sudden shift. Investors should therefore view the recent insider sales as routine portfolio adjustments and focus on the company’s underlying performance metrics and dividend policy when assessing its long‑term value.