Laser Focus World is an industry bedrock—first published in 1965 and still going strong. We publish original articles about cutting-edge advances in lasers, optics, photonics, sensors, and quantum technologies, as well as test and measurement, and the shift currently underway to usher in the photonic integrated circuits, optical interconnects, and copackaged electronics and photonics to deliver the speed and efficiency essential for data centers of the future.

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Editorial Advisory Board

  • Professor Andrea M. Armani, University of Southern California
  • Ruti Ben-Shlomi, Ph.D., LightSolver
  • James Butler, Ph.D., Hamamatsu
  • Natalie Fardian-Melamed, Ph.D., Columbia University
  • Justin Sigley, Ph.D., AmeriCOM
  • Professor Birgit Stiller, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light, and Leibniz University of Hannover
  • Professor Stephen Sweeney, University of Glasgow
  • Mohan Wang, Ph.D., University of Oxford
  • Professor Xuchen Wang, Harbin Engineering University
  • Professor Stefan Witte, Delft University of Technology

3 Reasons to Sell NBTB and 1 Stock to Buy Instead

NBTB Cover Image

NBT Bancorp currently trades at $42.80 per share and has shown little upside over the past six months, posting a small loss of 2%. The stock also fell short of the S&P 500’s 16.5% gain during that period.

Is there a buying opportunity in NBT Bancorp, or does it present a risk to your portfolio? Check out our in-depth research report to see what our analysts have to say, it’s free.

Why Is NBT Bancorp Not Exciting?

We don't have much confidence in NBT Bancorp. Here are three reasons there are better opportunities than NBTB and a stock we'd rather own.

1. Low Net Interest Margin Hinders Flexibility

Net interest margin (NIM) represents the unit economics of a bank by measuring the profitability of its interest-bearing assets relative to its interest-bearing liabilities. It's a fundamental metric that investors use to assess lending premiums and returns.

Over the past two years, we can see that NBT Bancorp’s net interest margin averaged a subpar 3.3%, indicating the company has weak loan book economics.

NBT Bancorp Trailing 12-Month Net Interest Margin

2. EPS Barely Growing

We track the long-term change in earnings per share (EPS) because it highlights whether a company’s growth is profitable.

NBT Bancorp’s EPS grew at an unimpressive 3.1% compounded annual growth rate over the last five years, lower than its 6.4% annualized revenue growth. This tells us the company became less profitable on a per-share basis as it expanded.

NBT Bancorp Trailing 12-Month EPS (Non-GAAP)

3. Projected TBVPS Growth Is Slim

A bank’s tangible book value per share (TBVPS) increases when it generates higher net interest margins and keeps credit losses low, allowing it to compound shareholder value over time.

Over the next 12 months, Consensus estimates call for NBT Bancorp’s TBVPS to grow by 3.7% to $26.66, paltry growth rate.

NBT Bancorp Quarterly Tangible Book Value per Share

Final Judgment

NBT Bancorp isn’t a terrible business, but it doesn’t pass our quality test. With its shares trailing the market in recent months, the stock trades at 1.2× forward P/B (or $42.80 per share). This valuation is reasonable, but the company’s shakier fundamentals present too much downside risk. We're fairly confident there are better stocks to buy right now. Let us point you toward a dominant Aerospace business that has perfected its M&A strategy.

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