UWM Target of Unusually High Options Trading (NYSE:UWMC)

UWM Holdings Corporation (NYSE:UWMC) saw some unusual options trading activity on Wednesday. Stock investors acquired 54,116 call options on the company. This is an increase of 687% compared to the typical volume of 6,879 call options.

Key Stories Impacting UWM

Here are the key news stories impacting UWM this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Record origination and revenue outperformance — UWM posted its highest quarterly loan volume since 2021 (reported ~ $49.6B in Q4) and Q4 revenue of ~$945M, well above consensus, signaling strong top‑line momentum and market share gains. InsiderMonkey: Record Loan Volume & Q4 Revenue
• Positive Sentiment: Strong full‑year origination — UWM reported ~$163.4B total originations for 2025, reinforcing the narrative of operational strength in a lower‑rate environment. National Mortgage Professional: $163.4B Originations
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend declared — UWM set a $0.10 quarterly dividend (ex‑dividend Mar 19), implying a near‑term yield around 9–9.5%, which can attract income‑seeking investors and support demand. Dividend Announcement
• Neutral Sentiment: Unusually large call‑option activity — Traders bought a heavy block of calls (~54,116), which could reflect speculative bullish bets or hedging around earnings/guidance volatility; ambiguous for direction.
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst note: Barclays trims price target from $7 to $6 but keeps an Overweight rating — that reduces upside vs. prior targets but still signals institutional conviction; mixed signal for near term. Benzinga: Barclays Note
• Negative Sentiment: EPS miss — reported EPS (~$0.06–$0.08 across reports) fell short of the ~$0.09 consensus, and margins/ROE remain weak, which has been a primary cause of downward pressure. Zacks: Q4 EPS Miss
• Negative Sentiment: Cautious / wide Q1 revenue guide — management gave a $650M–$850M revenue range vs. consensus ~ $816.5M; the low end and breadth increase near‑term uncertainty and give market room to downgrade expectations.
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling — CEO Mat Ishbia sold a large block of shares (632,874 reported), materially reducing his ownership; significant insider sales can amplify negative sentiment even if for liquidity reasons. SEC Filing: Insider Sale
• Negative Sentiment: Market reaction: stock hit a 12‑month low after the results — reflects investor concern over the EPS miss, guidance and insider activity. Article on New Low

UWM Stock Performance

UWM stock opened at $4.55 on Friday. UWM has a 52-week low of $3.79 and a 52-week high of $7.14. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.40, a current ratio of 1.45 and a quick ratio of 1.45. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $5.00 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $5.45. The firm has a market capitalization of $7.28 billion, a P/E ratio of 75.83 and a beta of 1.85.

UWM (NYSE:UWMC) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 25th. The company reported $0.08 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.09 by ($0.01). The business had revenue of $945.25 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $759.12 million. UWM had a negative return on equity of 1.33% and a net margin of 0.87%. As a group, analysts anticipate that UWM will post 0.2 EPS for the current fiscal year.

UWM Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 9th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, March 19th will be paid a dividend of $0.10 per share. This represents a $0.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 8.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, March 19th.

Insider Buying and Selling at UWM

In related news, CEO Ishbia Mat sold 632,874 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, December 31st. The shares were sold at an average price of $4.37, for a total value of $2,765,659.38. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 346,997 shares in the company, valued at $1,516,376.89. The trade was a 64.59% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. In the last three months, insiders have sold 20,348,052 shares of company stock worth $103,845,430. Company insiders own 87.50% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On UWM

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of UWM by 9.7% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 18,959,442 shares of the company’s stock valued at $83,042,000 after purchasing an additional 1,676,754 shares in the last quarter. Azora Capital LP raised its position in UWM by 230.8% in the 4th quarter. Azora Capital LP now owns 11,296,053 shares of the company’s stock valued at $49,477,000 after buying an additional 7,881,586 shares during the last quarter. Brandes Investment Partners LP bought a new stake in UWM in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $45,867,000. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. lifted its stake in UWM by 116.6% in the 2nd quarter. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. now owns 5,991,072 shares of the company’s stock valued at $24,803,000 after acquiring an additional 3,224,806 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Integrated Investment Consultants LLC acquired a new position in UWM during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $32,630,000. 53.59% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

UWMC has been the topic of several research analyst reports. UBS Group boosted their price target on shares of UWM from $5.50 to $6.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, November 12th. Barclays cut their price target on UWM from $7.00 to $6.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised their price objective on shares of UWM from $6.50 to $6.75 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research report on Thursday, December 18th. Morgan Stanley set a $6.00 target price on shares of UWM in a research report on Tuesday, December 16th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group set a $4.40 price objective on shares of UWM in a research note on Wednesday. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $6.33.

UWM Company Profile

United Wholesale Mortgage (NYSE: UWMC) is a leading mortgage lender in the United States specializing in the wholesale channel. The company partners with independent mortgage brokers, community banks and credit unions to offer a full suite of residential mortgage products. Through its network of third-party originators, United Wholesale Mortgage underwrites, funds and closes loans, allowing its partners to focus on customer acquisition and service.

The company’s product offerings include conventional fixed- and adjustable-rate mortgages, Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loans, Veterans Affairs (VA) loans, U.S.