The end of an earnings season can be a great time to discover new stocks and assess how companies are handling the current business environment. Let’s take a look at how German American Bancorp (NASDAQ: GABC) and the rest of the regional banks stocks fared in Q2.
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 99 regional banks stocks we track reported a satisfactory Q2. As a group, revenues were in line with analysts’ consensus estimates.
In light of this news, share prices of the companies have held steady as they are up 4.6% on average since the latest earnings results.
German American Bancorp (NASDAQ: GABC)
Founded in 1910 during a wave of community banking expansion in the Midwest, German American Bancorp (NASDAQ: GABC) is a financial holding company that provides banking, wealth management, and insurance services across southern Indiana and Kentucky.
German American Bancorp reported revenues of $89.89 million, up 38.5% year on year. This print exceeded analysts’ expectations by 0.8%. Despite the top-line beat, it was still a mixed quarter for the company.
Interestingly, the stock is up 4.2% since reporting and currently trades at $41.86.
Is now the time to buy German American Bancorp? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free.
Best Q2: UMB Financial (NASDAQ: UMBF)
With roots dating back to 1913 and a name derived from "United Missouri Bank," UMB Financial (NASDAQ: UMBF) is a financial holding company that provides banking, asset management, and fund services to commercial, institutional, and individual customers.
UMB Financial reported revenues of $689.2 million, up 76.7% year on year, outperforming analysts’ expectations by 8.6%. The business had a stunning quarter with a beat of analysts’ EPS estimates and an impressive beat of analysts’ tangible book value per share estimates.
The market seems happy with the results as the stock is up 11.3% since reporting. It currently trades at $122.12.
Is now the time to buy UMB Financial? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free.
Weakest Q2: Coastal Financial (NASDAQ: CCB)
Pioneering the intersection of traditional banking and financial technology in the Pacific Northwest, Coastal Financial (NASDAQ: CCB) operates as a bank holding company that provides traditional banking services and Banking-as-a-Service (BaaS) solutions to consumers and businesses.
Coastal Financial reported revenues of $119.4 million, down 11.7% year on year, falling short of analysts’ expectations by 21.5%. It was a disappointing quarter as it posted a significant miss of analysts’ net interest income and EPS estimates.
Interestingly, the stock is up 12.7% since the results and currently trades at $114.30.
Read our full analysis of Coastal Financial’s results here.
Lake City Bank (NASDAQ: LKFN)
Dating back to 1872 and deeply rooted in Indiana's communities, Lakeland Financial Corporation (NASDAQ: LKFN) operates Lake City Bank, providing commercial and consumer banking services throughout Northern and Central Indiana.
Lake City Bank reported revenues of $66.36 million, down 3.5% year on year. This number met analysts’ expectations. More broadly, it was a mixed quarter as it also produced a beat of analysts’ EPS estimates but a miss of analysts’ net interest income estimates.
The stock is up 7.1% since reporting and currently trades at $68.73.
Read our full, actionable report on Lake City Bank here, it’s free.
First Horizon (NYSE: FHN)
Tracing its roots back to 1864 during the Civil War era, First Horizon (NYSE: FHN) is a Tennessee-based bank holding company that provides commercial and consumer banking, wealth management, and specialty financial services across multiple states.
First Horizon reported revenues of $830 million, up 1.8% year on year. This result was in line with analysts’ expectations. Aside from that, it was a satisfactory quarter as it also recorded a solid beat of analysts’ tangible book value per share estimates but net interest income in line with analysts’ estimates.
The stock is up 7.1% since reporting and currently trades at $22.70.
Read our full, actionable report on First Horizon here, it’s free.
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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