UBSI vs WSFS: Which Is the Better Buy in 2026?
Last updated October 2026
Short answer
UBSI is the larger of the two ($6.36B market cap): the incumbent the market prices for continued execution (12.07x forward earnings, beta 0.74). WSFS is the smaller challenger ($3.90B), priced similarly on forward earnings (10.90x): more room to run, but more to prove. The real question is which set of drivers you believe, and whether owning one (or both) leaves you over-concentrated.
UBSI vs WSFS: the tie-breaker metrics
Same yardstick, side by side (as of October 2026). Valuation lined up like this is most meaningful for two names in the same corner of the market, which these are. Figures are approximate; verify before investing.
| Metric | UBSI | WSFS | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|---|
| Market cap | $6.36B | $3.90B | Size. The larger name is the incumbent; the smaller has more room to grow and more to prove. |
| Forward P/E | 12.07 | 10.90 | Valuation on next year's expected earnings, the same yardstick for both. Lower is cheaper for that growth; higher means the market is paying up. |
| Trailing P/E | 12.72 | 12.79 | Valuation on the last 12 months. A big drop from trailing to forward means the market expects earnings to jump, so more growth is already in the price. |
| Beta | 0.74 | 0.83 | Volatility vs the market. Above 1 swings harder than the index; below 1 is steadier. Higher beta means bigger drawdowns to hold through. |
| Price vs 52-week range | 81% of range | 80% of range | Where today's price sits between the 52-week low and high. Near the high is momentum with less margin of safety; near the low is out of favor or a discount, depending on why. |
| Price / book | 1.16 | 1.44 | How much you pay over book value. Very high can signal an asset-light, high-return business or a rich price. |
Before you buy: how UBSI and WSFS affect your concentration
The metrics above tell you which is the marginally better business. The bigger risk for most people is not picking the slightly worse stock, it is over-concentrating. UBSI and WSFS share themes, so owning both, or adding either to what you already hold, can quietly push a large share of your portfolio into one bet.
This is the part a generic comparison page cannot answer, because it depends on what you own. Connect your brokerage and Walnut shows your real, combined UBSI and WSFS exposure, flags overlap with your existing positions, and tells you if adding one would tip you past a concentration you are comfortable with, read-only by default, with your login staying at your broker. Walnut is not an investment adviser.
What does United Bankshares (UBSI) do?
United Bankshares, Inc. (NASDAQ: UBSI) is a bank holding company that operates through its subsidiary United Bank, with dual headquarters in Charleston, West Virginia and Fairfax, Virginia. It serves customers across West Virginia, Virginia, the District of Columbia, Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia, and it is the largest bank headquartered in West Virginia. The company makes money primarily from net interest income (the spread between what it earns on loans and securities and what it pays on deposits) plus noninterest fee income from services like mortgage banking, wealth management, and deposit accounts. As of December 31, 2025, total assets were about $33.66 billion, up roughly 12% year over year, and they reached about $34 billion by June 30, 2026, spread across more than 240 offices.
What does WSFS Financial Corporation (WSFS) do?
WSFS Financial Corporation is a Wilmington, Delaware based bank holding company whose principal subsidiary, WSFS Bank, is one of the oldest banks in the United States operating continuously under the same name (nearly 200 years). It offers commercial and retail banking, treasury and cash-management, and a sizable trust and wealth-management operation, running roughly 115 offices concentrated in Pennsylvania, Delaware, and New Jersey with smaller footprints in Florida, Nevada, and Virginia. As of March 2026 it held about $22.1 billion in balance-sheet assets and roughly $97.6 billion in assets under management and administration.
UBSI vs WSFS: how do they differ?
Both fit overlapping themes, but they are not interchangeable. The useful comparison is which set of drivers and risks you want exposure to.
- UBSI drivers: Long dividend-growth streak and income profile; Acquisition-driven growth engine.
- WSFS drivers: Fee and wealth-management diversification; Regional density and franchise scale.
Which fits which kind of investor
A faster-growing, richer-valued name usually swings harder, so it suits a longer horizon and a higher tolerance for volatility; a steadier, more cash-generative business suits a more conservative or income-minded investor. The honest test is which set of risks you could hold through a drawdown: As a bank, United Bankshares is highly sensitive to interest rates: net interest income is its largest revenue line, so shifts in the rate environment and deposit repricing can compress or expand margins. For WSFS, as a regional bank, WSFS is exposed to net interest margin compression if deposit costs rise faster than asset yields or if the yield curve stays inverted.
UBSI or WSFS: which should you pick?
Growth-minded investors who believe the theme has years to run tend to accept the richer multiple for more upside; value-minded investors lean toward the cheaper forward earnings and steadier profile. Pick UBSI if you believe its drivers more; WSFS if you believe its. Many investors hold both, but since they share themes, that is a concentrated bet, not diversification. Decide deliberately and check overlap. For the full detail, see the UBSI and WSFS guides.
UBSI vs WSFS: the full fundamentals
UBSI. United Bankshares trades like a typical value-oriented regional bank, at a low-teens price-to-earnings multiple, about 1.16 times book, with a dividend yield above 3%. The stock has re-rated in 2026 (up about 22% year to date) as earnings beat estimates four quarters running, though the average analyst target near $50 and a hold consensus suggest less room than before. Figures are approximate as of October 2026, and third-quarter results are due around October 22.
WSFS. At $76.50 on October 16, 2026, WSFS trades near 12.8 times trailing and 10.9 times forward earnings and about 1.4 times book, with a dividend yield near 1%. Earnings have outrun estimates for four straight quarters, though part of early-2026 strength reflected a large loan recovery and reserve release rather than pure operating growth. Q3 results arrive October 22 with consensus near $1.62, and the six covering analysts average an $88 target.
Headline figures (approximate, October 2026): UBSI shows total assets (june 2026) ~$34 billion, revenue (ttm) ~$1.25 billion; Q2 2026 up ~6% YoY, net income (ttm) ~$514 million; trailing EPS ~$3.67, q2 2026 net income / eps ~$131.4 million / $0.95 (vs $0.89 expected); WSFS shows revenue (ttm) ~$1.08B, revenue growth (q2 2026, yoy) ~8.8%, net income (ttm) ~$320M, q2 2026 eps ~$1.66 (vs ~$1.50 est.).
The bottom line: UBSI vs WSFS
UBSI and WSFS are related but distinct: same themes, different businesses and risks. Neither wins in the abstract; the right pick is whichever thesis you actually believe, sized so you are not over-concentrated in one theme. Walnut can show your combined UBSI and WSFS exposure against your real portfolio. It is not an investment adviser.
Wondering how UBSI or WSFS fits the portfolio you already own? Walnut is an AI investing app that connects your brokerage read-only and answers questions like that about your actual holdings: overlap, concentration, and how each position tracks the S&P 500. Compare the best AI portfolio analyzers or see the best AI investing apps in 2026.
Investing in United Bankshares with AI
Connect the broker you already use and ask Walnut's AI how UBSI fits what you actually hold: whether you own it already through a fund, what it would do to your concentration, and how it has tracked the S&P 500. Read-only by default, and you approve anything before it reaches your broker.
FAQ
What is the difference between UBSI and WSFS?
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United Bankshares, Inc. WSFS Financial Corporation is a Wilmington, Delaware based bank holding company whose principal subsidiary, WSFS Bank, is one of the oldest banks in the United States operating continuously under the same name (nearly 200 years). They show up together because they share investment themes, but they are different businesses, so the better fit depends on which thesis you are expressing.
Is UBSI or WSFS the better stock?
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Neither is universally better. UBSI is the larger incumbent; WSFS is the smaller challenger and looks cheaper on forward earnings. Walnut is informational, not investment advice. Compare what each does, the tie-breaker metrics above, and the risks, then decide which fits your thesis and what you already own.
Which is cheaper, UBSI or WSFS?
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On forward P/E (as of October 2026), UBSI trades at 12.07x and WSFS at 10.90x, so WSFS is the cheaper of the two on next year's expected earnings. A lower multiple is not automatically the better buy: a richer valuation can be justified by faster growth, and a lower one can reflect real risk. Weigh the multiple against how fast each business is compounding.
Should you own both UBSI and WSFS?
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Because they share themes, owning both concentrates you in that theme. That can be intentional (a focused bet) or accidental (less diversification than it looks). Walnut can show your combined exposure across both, and whether adding either over-concentrates you, before you buy.
What are the risks of UBSI vs WSFS?
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UBSI: As a bank, United Bankshares is highly sensitive to interest rates: net interest income is its largest revenue line, so shifts in the rate environment and deposit repricing can compress or expand margins. It is exposed to the regional credit cycle, where a recession, rising unemployment, or stress in commercial real estate in its markets would increase loan losses. Its growth depends heavily on acquisitions, which carry integration, overpayment, and execution risk, and a slower deal pipeline would blunt one of its main growth levers. The company is geographically concentrated in the Appalachian, Mid-Atlantic, and Southeast regions, so local economic weakness has an outsized effect, and it faces intense competition from much larger banks like Truist and from other regionals. Broader risks include regulatory and compliance costs, deposit-flight dynamics that pressured regional banks in 2023, and macro uncertainty that could weigh on loan demand and securities values. A new-market push into South Florida adds start-up costs and competition from entrenched private banks, and after a 36% one-year gain the shares sit near the top of their $34.42-$49.62 52-week range. WSFS: As a regional bank, WSFS is exposed to net interest margin compression if deposit costs rise faster than asset yields or if the yield curve stays inverted. Commercial real estate exposure, notably office, could raise nonperforming assets and provision expense if the economy weakens. Deposit competition from both large banks and fintechs pressures funding costs and could erode the low-cost deposit advantage. Recent earnings have benefited from one-time items like a sizable loan recovery and reserve releases, so core run-rate profitability may look softer without them. Its geographic concentration in the Mid-Atlantic means regional economic shocks hit harder than they would for a nationally diversified peer. After a roughly 39% gain in 2026 the shares carry higher expectations than they did a year ago, and consensus calls for EPS growth to slow to about 6% in 2027 from about 27% in 2026.
Walnut is informational, not investment advice. This page is descriptive and not a recommendation to buy or sell UBSI or WSFS; figures are approximate and dated (as of October 2026). Verify current data before investing.