Mission Statement, Vision, & Core Values of United Bancorp, Inc. (UBCP)

When you look at United Bancorp, Inc., you see a community bank with total assets climbing to $866.8 million as of September 30, 2025, which begs the question: how does a regional player execute that kind of growth while staying true to its local roots? That jump-plus a Q3 2025 diluted earnings per share (EPS) of $0.34-doesn't happen by accident; it's defintely driven by a clear set of guiding principles, not just market tailwinds. What core values are truly behind a strategy that delivered $0.92 in total cash dividends per share year-to-date in 2025? We're diving into the Mission Statement, Vision, and Core Values that govern every decision, from loan origination to maintaining a strong net interest margin (NIM) of 3.66%.

United Bancorp, Inc. (UBCP) Overview

You need a clear picture of United Bancorp, Inc. (UBCP) right now, not a history lesson. This is a regional bank holding company that's successfully navigating a tough economic environment by focusing on core banking and strategic, long-term investments.

United Bancorp, Inc. operates primarily through its single bank charter, Unified Bank, and is headquartered in Martins Ferry, Ohio. The company provides a full suite of commercial and retail banking services. This means you can get your checking account, a commercial loan for your business, or a real estate mortgage all under one roof. They serve customers across several Ohio counties-like Athens, Belmont, and Jefferson-plus Marshall County in West Virginia, operating through eighteen banking centers.

Their business model is straightforward: take deposits, then lend that money back out, which is how they make most of their money, or net interest income. They are also building out key non-interest-income drivers, specifically their Unified Mortgage division and Treasury Management Programs, which are defintely smart moves for future diversification. As of September 30, 2025, the company had total assets of $866.8 million, showing steady growth. For a deeper dive into their structure and how they generate revenue, you can check out United Bancorp, Inc. (UBCP): History, Ownership, Mission, How It Works & Makes Money.

2025 Financial Performance: Growth in Core Banking

The latest results, which cover the third quarter and the first nine months of 2025, show a solid performance driven by their core lending business. For the three months ended September 30, 2025, United Bancorp, Inc. reported net income of $1,931,000, marking a 6.1% increase over the same quarter last year. That's a decent jump, especially given the macroeconomic uncertainty we've seen this year.

Here's the quick math for the first nine months of 2025: Net income reached $5,717,000, which is an increase of 3.0% year-over-year. The real story here is the strength in their main product sales-net interest income (the difference between what they earn on loans and pay on deposits)-which rose by 9.6% to $6.7 million in the third quarter alone.

• Total Assets: $866.8 million (up 5% year-over-year).
• Gross Loans: $496.5 million (up 4.5% year-over-year).
• Net Interest Margin: Improved 16 basis points to 3.66%.

What this estimate hides is the drag on current earnings from strategic investments, like the construction of their new Wheeling Banking Center and the Unified Center for back-office functions; these are costs now, but they set up future efficiency. Still, the fact they're increasing their regular cash dividend to $0.19 per share for Q4 2025, producing a forward yield of 5.4%, shows management confidence in future cash flow.

A Near-Industry Leader in Shareholder Value

United Bancorp, Inc. is positioning itself as a leader not just in regional banking, but in shareholder return. Their focus on maintaining a strong balance sheet while aggressively investing in their infrastructure is key. For example, their market price to tangible book value-a critical metric for banks-was 127% as of September 30, 2025, which favorably compares to current industry standards.

The company's total dividend payout for the first nine months of 2025, which includes a special cash dividend, totaled $0.73 per share, an 8.2% increase over the prior year. That forward dividend yield of 6.6% is described by management as 'near-industry leading,' a clear signal of their commitment to investors. This blend of steady asset growth, margin expansion, and a strong dividend policy suggests a management team that's both realistic about economic headwinds and optimistic about its growth trajectory toward a $1 billion asset base. To understand the full scope of their strategy, you need to look closer at their mission and values.

United Bancorp, Inc. (UBCP) Mission Statement

You need to know how United Bancorp, Inc. (UBCP) is translating its core purpose into tangible financial performance, especially in a tightening credit market. The mission statement is the playbook for their long-term strategy, and for 2025, it clearly maps to sustained profitability and smart, technology-driven growth, which is why we're seeing solid balance sheet expansion.

United Bancorp, Inc.'s mission is a commitment to continue earning the respect of four key stakeholder groups: shareholders, customers, communities, and team members, all while maintaining its independence. This isn't just corporate boilerplate; it's a strategic framework. For a community-focused bank, this focus on respect is the bedrock of its competitive moat (a sustainable competitive advantage), driving every decision from lending policy to technology investment. The general mission is simple: remain independent. This means they must defintely execute on all fronts to avoid becoming an acquisition target.

Component 1: Earning the Respect of Shareholders

For a public company like United Bancorp, Inc., earning shareholder respect boils down to two things: profitable growth and disciplined capital allocation. Their mission specifies achieving this through sustained profitability and acquiring well-managed and capitalized businesses. This is the financial analyst's primary lens.

Here's the quick math on their 2025 execution: for the first nine months of the year, United Bancorp, Inc. reported net income of $5,717,000, an increase of 3.0% over the same period last year. Diluted earnings per share (EPS) also climbed to $0.99, a 4.2% year-over-year increase. This isn't explosive growth, but it's consistent, high-quality earnings. Plus, they're returning value, increasing the fourth quarter 2025 dividend to $0.19 per share, a 1.3% jump from the prior quarter. That's a clear action on the shareholder value component.

• Sustain profitability: 9-month 2025 net income at $5.7 million.
• Reward owners: Q4 2025 dividend increased to $0.19 per share.
• Show efficiency: Net margin sits at a robust 24.31%.

Component 2: Earning the Respect of Customers

The mission component focused on customers is about relevance-reaching out with the technology they want and offering the financial products and services they need. In an era where fintechs are everywhere, a community bank must deliver a seamless digital experience alongside its local branch network. It's a dual strategy: high-touch service and high-tech tools.

The company's investment in digital transformation and new technology, alongside the development of programs like Unified Mortgage and Treasury Management, directly supports this mission. The goal is to grow the balance sheet, which is a direct measure of customer trust and demand for their products. As of September 30, 2025, total assets grew by $41.3 million, or 5.0%, to a level of $866.8 million. That asset growth is a concrete example of customers voting with their deposits and loan applications. You can dig deeper into who is driving this demand by Exploring United Bancorp, Inc. (UBCP) Investor Profile: Who's Buying and Why?

Component 3: Earning the Respect of Communities

For a community bank, the health of its local market is directly tied to its own health. This mission component-supporting civic activities that make communities better places to live and work-is a risk mitigation strategy as much as it is a philanthropic one. A thriving community means a better lending environment and a lower risk of loan losses.

The company's commitment to its communities is physically demonstrated by its network of eighteen banking centers across Ohio and West Virginia. More importantly, the growth in its loan portfolio shows it is actively fueling local economies. Gross loans outstanding increased by $21.5 million, or 4.5%, to $496.5 million as of September 30, 2025. This loan growth is the engine of community economic activity, funding local businesses and home purchases. What this estimate hides, though, is the specific breakdown of commercial versus consumer lending, which would give a clearer picture of the community impact.

United Bancorp, Inc. (UBCP) Vision Statement

You're looking at United Bancorp, Inc. (UBCP), a community bank holding company, and you want to know what drives their strategy. Simply put, their near-term vision is a clear, quantitative target: prudently and profitably growing the asset base to a level of $1.0 billion, or greater, in the near term. This isn't some vague aspiration; it's a specific financial threshold that dictates capital allocation and growth strategy.

This goal is a direct response to the industry's need for scale, especially in a challenging economic environment. As of September 30, 2025, UBCP's total assets stood at $866.8 million, which means they are roughly $133.2 million away from hitting that $1.0 billion milestone. Here's the quick math: they need about a 15.4% increase from the September 2025 asset level to reach the target. They are defintely investing in infrastructure, like the new Unified Center in St. Clairsville, Ohio, to create the operating leverage needed to support that growth.

• Grow assets to $1.0 billion.
• Focus on prudent, profitable growth.
• Invest in technology and digital transformation.

The vision is about scale, but it's anchored in prudence-they adopted a more defensive posture in recent years, sacrificing some growth to maintain a more conservative balance sheet management approach. That's a realist's approach to banking.

The Mission: Earning Respect in Four Key Areas

The mission statement for United Bancorp, Inc. is a four-pronged commitment to earning respect from their core stakeholders. This isn't just a feel-good phrase; it's the operational mandate that guides their daily decisions, linking back to their community banking roots. The mission is to continue earning the respect of four distinct groups: shareholders, customers, communities, and team members.

For shareholders, the mission is about sustained profitability and growing shareholder value, often through acquiring well-managed and capitalized businesses in the financial services industry. For customers, it means reaching out with the technology they want and offering the financial products they need. This is why they are implementing artificial intelligence (AI) to better serve customers and developing a centralized Customer Support function at the Unified Center.

The general mission is to remain independent, and they plan to accomplish this by managing technological change to gain efficiencies and expand beyond the typical brick and mortar framework. This is a critical strategic point: independence requires both strong financial performance and a clear path to modern, efficient delivery. You can read more about their history and how this mission has evolved at United Bancorp, Inc. (UBCP): History, Ownership, Mission, How It Works & Makes Money.

Core Values in Action: The Financial Reality

While the company doesn't publish a separate list of core values, the mission components serve as the guiding principles: Integrity, Customer Focus, Community Support, and Employee Development. We can map the 2025 financial performance directly to these principles, showing execution instead of just rhetoric.

The commitment to Shareholders (and thus, financial integrity) is clear in the 2025 results. For the first nine months of 2025, United Bancorp, Inc. reported net income of $5,717,000, and diluted earnings per share (EPS) of $0.99, both increases over the previous year. Plus, they declared a fourth-quarter cash dividend of $0.19 per share in November 2025, which produces a near-industry leading forward total dividend yield of 6.6% when combined with the special dividend.

The focus on Customer Focus and efficiency is evident in their margin expansion. For the first nine months of 2025, their net interest margin improved by 16 basis points to 3.66%, which shows effective management of their loan and deposit portfolio. The market price to tangible book value was 127% as of September 30, 2025, which favorably compares to industry standards-a sign that the market respects their balance sheet management. That's a strong signal of trust in their model.

The investment in Team Members is seen in the noninterest expense increases tied to transformative projects like the new Wheeling Banking Center and the development of Unified Mortgage and Treasury Management Programs. These are investments in future revenue streams and employee development, which is a long-term play. If you don't invest in your people and tech, you can't hit a $1.0 billion asset goal. It's that simple.

United Bancorp, Inc. (UBCP) Core Values

You want to know what truly drives United Bancorp, Inc. (UBCP) beyond the quarterly earnings reports. Honestly, a bank's long-term value isn't just in its loan portfolio; it's in the bedrock principles-the core values-that guide every decision. For UBCP, a community-focused bank holding company, these values are clearly mapped to their key stakeholders: shareholders, customers, communities, and team members. This isn't corporate fluff; it's the operational blueprint that delivered a net income of $5,717,000 for the first nine months of 2025.

Here's the quick math: when a company's actions consistently reinforce its values, you get predictable, sustained performance. We're seeing UBCP's strategic investments-which are near-term expenses-pay off in future growth, which is defintely the right long-term move.

Value to Shareholders and Integrity

This value is about keeping promises and delivering a tangible return on capital. For a publicly traded company like United Bancorp, Inc., this means sustaining profitability and growing shareholder value, which is a core part of their mission. Integrity is the foundation, but dividend growth is the proof.

The company has demonstrated a remarkable commitment to its owners by increasing its regular cash dividend for 13 consecutive years. In 2025 alone, the Board of Directors declared a fourth-quarter dividend of $0.19 per share, continuing an upward trend from the first three quarters. Year-to-date through the fourth quarter declaration, the total cash dividends paid, including a special dividend, reached $0.92 per share. This consistent payout, even while investing heavily in the business, shows a clear, actionable commitment to shareholder value, backed by a strong return on equity (ROE) of 11.96% as of the end of the third quarter.

• $0.92 total dividends paid per share YTD 2025.
• 13 consecutive years of regular dividend increases.
• Q3 2025 diluted EPS hit $0.34.

Customer Focus and Digital Transformation

You can't be a modern bank without meeting customers where they are-and that's increasingly on their phone. Customer Focus for United Bancorp, Inc. means reaching out with the technology customers want and offering the financial products they need. The company is actively translating this into action with significant capital expenditures.

The core strategy in 2025 has been a digital transformation initiative and the scaling out of specialized services. This includes expanding the Unified Mortgage and Treasury Management Programs, which are designed to offer more sophisticated financial solutions to both individuals and businesses. The focus on technology is already driving results, helping the net interest margin-the difference between the interest income generated and the amount of interest paid out-expand to 3.65% in the second quarter of 2025. That's a measurable gain in efficiency and service delivery.

Community Support and Economic Vitality

As a community bank, United Bancorp, Inc.'s mission explicitly includes supporting civic activities to make their communities better places to live and work. This isn't a passive value; it requires investment in the physical and economic infrastructure of the areas they serve across Ohio and West Virginia.

In 2025, the company committed capital to several tangible projects that anchor their presence. They are constructing a new Wheeling Banking Center and acquired a property in St. Clairsville, Ohio, that will become the Unified Center, housing key operational functions. This is a direct investment in local real estate and job stability. Furthermore, through its subsidiary, the company has been a reliable finance partner for non-profit affordable housing developers, recognizing that economic vitality is tied to stable housing. Gross loans surpassed a milestone of $500.7 million in the second quarter of 2025, reflecting their role in fueling local economic growth.

Team Member Development and Modernization

A bank's greatest asset walks out the door every evening, so investing in team members is crucial. United Bancorp, Inc.'s mission is to earn the respect of its team members through training, development, and career growth opportunities in a comfortable environment with modern equipment.

The development of the new Unified Center in St. Clairsville, Ohio, is a concrete example of this commitment. This center will consolidate and modernize the workspace for the Accounting, Information Technology, and Customer Sales and Service Functions. This investment isn't just about efficiency; it's about providing a better, more modern environment for core staff, which directly impacts retention and service quality. If you want to dive deeper into the financial mechanics that make these investments possible, you should read Breaking Down United Bancorp, Inc. (UBCP) Financial Health: Key Insights for Investors.

Next Step: Review your current portfolio allocation against UBCP's 5.4% forward dividend yield to see if this value-driven stability fits your income needs.