As the Q3 earnings season wraps, let’s dig into this quarter’s best and worst performers in the regional banks industry, including Merchants Bancorp (NASDAQ: MBIN) and its peers.
Regional banks, financial institutions operating within specific geographic areas, serve as intermediaries between local depositors and borrowers. They benefit from rising interest rates that improve net interest margins (the difference between loan yields and deposit costs), digital transformation reducing operational expenses, and local economic growth driving loan demand. However, these banks face headwinds from fintech competition, deposit outflows to higher-yielding alternatives, credit deterioration (increasing loan defaults) during economic slowdowns, and regulatory compliance costs. Recent concerns about regional bank stability following high-profile failures and significant commercial real estate exposure present additional challenges.
The 94 regional banks stocks we track reported a satisfactory Q3. As a group, revenues missed analysts’ consensus estimates by 1.1%.
In light of this news, share prices of the companies have held steady. On average, they are relatively unchanged since the latest earnings results.
Merchants Bancorp (NASDAQ: MBIN)
With a strategic focus on low-risk, government-backed lending programs, Merchants Bancorp (NASDAQCM:MBIN) is an Indiana-based bank holding company specializing in multi-family mortgage banking, mortgage warehousing, and traditional banking services.
Merchants Bancorp reported revenues of $171.1 million, up 14.4% year on year. This print exceeded analysts’ expectations by 3%. Overall, it was a very strong quarter for the company with a beat of analysts’ EPS and revenue estimates.
Unsurprisingly, the stock is down 2.4% since reporting and currently trades at $31.59.
Is now the time to buy Merchants Bancorp? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free for active Edge members.
Best Q3: Customers Bancorp (NYSE: CUBI)
Originally founded with a "high-tech, high-touch" branch-light banking strategy, Customers Bancorp (NYSE: CUBI) is a bank holding company that provides commercial and consumer banking services through its Customers Bank subsidiary, with a focus on business lending and digital banking.
Customers Bancorp reported revenues of $232.1 million, up 38.5% year on year, outperforming analysts’ expectations by 7%. The business had a stunning quarter with an impressive beat of analysts’ net interest income estimates and a solid beat of analysts’ revenue estimates.
The market seems content with the results as the stock is up 2.2% since reporting. It currently trades at $66.99.
Is now the time to buy Customers Bancorp? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free for active Edge members.
Weakest Q3: The Bancorp (NASDAQ: TBBK)
Operating behind the scenes of many popular fintech apps and prepaid cards you might use daily, The Bancorp (NASDAQ: TBBK) is a bank holding company that specializes in providing banking services to fintech companies and offering specialty lending products.
The Bancorp reported revenues of $174.6 million, up 38.8% year on year, falling short of analysts’ expectations by 10%. It was a disappointing quarter as it posted a significant miss of analysts’ revenue and net interest income estimates.
As expected, the stock is down 20% since the results and currently trades at $61.62.
Read our full analysis of The Bancorp’s results here.
First Busey (NASDAQ: BUSE)
Tracing its roots back to 1868 during America's post-Civil War reconstruction era, First Busey (NASDAQ: BUSE) is a bank holding company that provides commercial and retail banking, wealth management, and payment technology solutions across Illinois, Missouri, Florida, and Indiana.
First Busey reported revenues of $196.3 million, up 66.8% year on year. This result met analysts’ expectations. Zooming out, it was a mixed quarter as it also produced an impressive beat of analysts’ tangible book value per share estimates but a narrow beat of analysts’ EPS estimates.
The stock is flat since reporting and currently trades at $23.27.
Read our full, actionable report on First Busey here, it’s free for active Edge members.
Texas Capital Bank (NASDAQ: TCBI)
Founded during the Texas banking renaissance of the 1990s with an entrepreneurial spirit, Texas Capital Bancshares (NASDAQ: TCBI) is a financial services firm that provides banking, wealth management, and investment banking services to businesses and individuals across Texas and beyond.
Texas Capital Bank reported revenues of $340.4 million, up 11.6% year on year. This number surpassed analysts’ expectations by 4.1%. It was an exceptional quarter as it also recorded a beat of analysts’ EPS estimates and an impressive beat of analysts’ revenue estimates.
The stock is up 3.1% since reporting and currently trades at $84.65.
Read our full, actionable report on Texas Capital Bank here, it’s free for active Edge members.
Market Update
As a result of the Fed’s rate hikes in 2022 and 2023, inflation has come down from frothy levels post-pandemic. The general rise in the price of goods and services is trending towards the Fed’s 2% goal as of late, which is good news. The higher rates that fought inflation also didn't slow economic activity enough to catalyze a recession. So far, soft landing. This, combined with recent rate cuts (half a percent in September 2024 and a quarter percent in November 2024) have led to strong stock market performance in 2024. The icing on the cake for 2024 returns was Donald Trump’s victory in the U.S. Presidential Election in early November, sending major indices to all-time highs in the week following the election. Still, debates around the health of the economy and the impact of potential tariffs and corporate tax cuts remain, leaving much uncertainty around 2025.
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