Although very active since my last update on the company in September of 2017, the shares of First Bancshares (FBMS) have been a relatively average performer over that span of time, with a return close to that of regional banks in general and in the middle of a comp group including ServisFirst (SFBS), Renasant (RNST), MidSouth (MSL), and National Commerce (NCOM). While the company has executed on two M&A deals entirely consistent with the growth plan I expected here, operating performance has been a little lumpy.
I continue to believe that First Bancshares offers an above-average level of earnings growth potential, return potential, and risk. Integrating its acquisitions should drive meaningful operating leverage in 2019 and beyond, and loan growth should likewise drive good earnings momentum. With plenty of acquisition opportunities left in its core operating footprint (and/or target footprint), I expect additional M&A in the years to come.
Executing On The PlanWhen I wrote about First Bancshares in September, I said that, "I'm expecting the bank to acquire another $300 million to $500 million in assets over the next 18 months." Between the announced acquisition of Southwest Banc Shares ($398 million in assets) in October and the subsequent December announcement of the acquisition of Sunshine Financial ($194 million), First Bancshares has pretty much done exactly that.
Top 10 Financial Stocks To Watch Right Now: BofI Holding Inc.(BOFI)
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Dan Caplinger]
The relationship between people and banks has changed dramatically over the past 20 years. Previous generations had strong personal relationships with bankers at physical branch locations in their areas, and over time, Bank of America (NYSE:BAC) has gobbled up countless smaller institutions to become the national behemoth it is today. Younger customers have gravitated toward internet banking, and BofI Holding (NASDAQ:BOFI) and its Bank of Internet USA have captured a good deal of the resulting business from those who value better rates above in-person customer service.
- [By Jordan Wathen, Dan Caplinger, and Sean Williams]
Below, three Fool.com investors make the case for adding shares of Fifth Third Bancorp (NASDAQ:FITB), BofI Holding (NASDAQ:BOFI), and Deutsche Bank (NYSE:DB) to your portfolio.
- [By Stephan Byrd]
BofI Holding, Inc. (NASDAQ:BOFI) – Analysts at DA Davidson boosted their Q1 2020 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for BofI in a research note issued on Monday, October 1st. DA Davidson analyst G. Tenner now forecasts that the financial services provider will post earnings of $0.82 per share for the quarter, up from their prior forecast of $0.76. DA Davidson also issued estimates for BofI’s Q2 2020 earnings at $0.85 EPS, Q3 2020 earnings at $1.24 EPS, Q4 2020 earnings at $0.83 EPS and FY2020 earnings at $3.73 EPS.
- [By Jason Hall]
BofI Holding Inc (NASDAQ:BOFI) has made for a remarkable investment over the past decade. Its stock price is up an incredible 2,140% since the start of 2008, a remarkable 17-fold better total return than the S&P 500 over the same period of time. Over that period it has grown its assets almost 860% and increased earnings per share almost 2,600%.
- [By Jordan Wathen, Matthew Frankel, and Dan Caplinger]
Rather than gamble on the next big penny stock, investors would do well to buy quality companies worth owning for the long haul. In the article below, three Fool.com contributors make the case for BofI Holding (NASDAQ:BOFI), Jefferies Financial Group (NYSE:JEF), and The Travelers Companies (NYSE:TRV) as stocks to consider adding to your portfolio.
Top 10 Financial Stocks To Watch Right Now: First Bancorp(FBNC)
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Max Byerly]
First Bancorp (NASDAQ:FBNC) was downgraded by stock analysts at ValuEngine from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a note issued to investors on Monday.
- [By Logan Wallace]
First Bancorp (NASDAQ:FBNC) CEO Richard H. Moore purchased 1,250 shares of First Bancorp stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, September 19th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $39.79 per share, with a total value of $49,737.50. Following the acquisition, the chief executive officer now owns 139,935 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,568,013.65. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website.
- [By Stephan Byrd]
Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on First Bancorp (FBNC)
For more information about research offerings from Zacks Investment Research, visit Zacks.com
Top 10 Financial Stocks To Watch Right Now: Meridian Interstate Bancorp Inc.(EBSB)
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Logan Wallace]
BidaskClub upgraded shares of Meridian Bancorp (NASDAQ:EBSB) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report sent to investors on Friday morning.
- [By Shane Hupp]
Meridian Bancorp (NASDAQ:EBSB) was upgraded by equities research analysts at BidaskClub from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report released on Saturday.
- [By Ethan Ryder]
Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Meridian Bancorp (EBSB)
For more information about research offerings from Zacks Investment Research, visit Zacks.com
Top 10 Financial Stocks To Watch Right Now: Magyar Bancorp Inc.(MGYR)
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Ethan Ryder]
Media headlines about Magyar Bancorp (NASDAQ:MGYR) have been trending somewhat positive on Friday, according to Accern. Accern rates the sentiment of news coverage by analyzing more than 20 million blog and news sources in real time. Accern ranks coverage of publicly-traded companies on a scale of -1 to 1, with scores closest to one being the most favorable. Magyar Bancorp earned a media sentiment score of 0.16 on Accern’s scale. Accern also assigned media headlines about the bank an impact score of 48.0770691063571 out of 100, meaning that recent news coverage is somewhat unlikely to have an effect on the company’s share price in the immediate future.
Top 10 Financial Stocks To Watch Right Now: Stratus Properties Inc.(STRS)
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Shane Hupp]
Here are some of the media stories that may have impacted Accern Sentiment’s analysis:
Get Stratus Properties alerts: Analyzing Stratus Properties (STRS) & City Developments (CDEVY) (americanbankingnews.com) Stratus Properties (STRS) versus City Developments (CDEVY) Financial Survey (americanbankingnews.com) Reviewing Stratus Properties (STRS) and St. Joe (JOE) (americanbankingnews.com) Stratus Properties (STRS) versus City Developments (CDEVY) Head-To-Head Analysis (americanbankingnews.com) Contrasting Stratus Properties (STRS) & St. Joe (JOE) (americanbankingnews.com)NASDAQ STRS traded down $0.25 during trading hours on Monday, hitting $31.10. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 528 shares, compared to its average volume of 7,123. Stratus Properties has a 52 week low of $26.15 and a 52 week high of $32.15. The company has a quick ratio of 1.09, a current ratio of 1.09 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.74.
Top 10 Financial Stocks To Watch Right Now: Wells Fargo & Company(WFC)
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Chris Lange]
Wells Fargo & Co. (NYSE: WFC) short interest dropped to 33.20 million shares from the previous reading of 35.83 million. Shares were trading at $57.88, within a 52-week range of $49.27 to $66.31.
- [By ]
Buffett's investment in banking is even more interesting that the overall over-weighting appears. Berkshire cut its position in Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE: WFC) to come in under 10% ownership last quarter but still holds $24.7 billion in shares, it's second-largest holding. At the industry-level, Berkshire added to its banking position with 3.7 million shares of US Bancorp (NYSE: USB) and 1.4 million shares of Bank of New York Mellon (NYSE: BK).
- [By Shah Gilani]
But the regulations didn't stop one of the country's biggest banks, Wells Fargo & Co. (NYSE: WFC), from committing criminal activity on a scale that's simply unimaginable.
- [By ]
Wells Fargo & Co. (WFC) , Bank of America Corp. (BAC) and Citigroup Inc. (C) have quietly racked up billions of dollars of losses that, under the vagaries of U.S. accounting rules, they've been able to avoid recognizing in quarterly earnings reports. Citigroup is a holding in Action Alerts PLUS.
- [By Matthew Frankel, CFP]
Frankel: Obviously, I'll be watching all of the big banks reporting earnings. But Wells Fargo (NYSE:WFC) is one that I really have my eye on, just because their last quarterly report was so terrible. Last quarter, they missed expectations. I don't really pay too much attention to expectations, as we've said on the show. But their revenue dropped almost 3% year over year. Their deposit base is down 2%. The big takeaway is, as of the end of last quarter, there were no signs that their scandals and whatever have really begun to get into the past yet. So, I'm looking for that.
Top 10 Financial Stocks To Watch Right Now: NBT Bancorp Inc.(NBTB)
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Ethan Ryder]
NBT Bancorp (NASDAQ:NBTB) was downgraded by analysts at BidaskClub from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a note issued to investors on Saturday.
- [By Max Byerly]
Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on NBT Bancorp (NBTB)
For more information about research offerings from Zacks Investment Research, visit Zacks.com
- [By Stephan Byrd]
Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on NBT Bancorp (NBTB)
For more information about research offerings from Zacks Investment Research, visit Zacks.com
Top 10 Financial Stocks To Watch Right Now: Deutsche Bank AG(DB)
Advisors' Opinion:- [By ]
Deutsche Bank AG (DB) probably saw profit decline 34% in the first quarter, based on a FactSet survey, underscoring the troubles faced by Germany's largest lender as new CEO Christian Sewing takes over.
- [By Benzinga News Desk]
Steve Eisman, the Neuberger Berman Group money manager who famously predicted the collapse of subprime mortgages before the 2008 financial crisis, recommended shorting Deutsche Bank AG (NYSE: DB) shares: Link $
- [By Garrett Baldwin]
Well, Money Morning Special Situation Strategist Tim Melvin has broken these secrets out of the vault of the Smart Money managers. And he's sharing the Max Wealth secrets for free right here.
Two Stocks to Watch Today: XOM, DB Shares of Exxon Mobil Corp. (NYSE: XOM) jumped more than 2.6% in pre-market hours after the energy giant reported earnings before the bell. The oil major reported earnings per share of $1.41, easily topping Wall Street forecasts of $1.08. Its $7.2 billion in quarterly profits were a 72% jump from the same period last year. However, the firm did fall a bit short on the revenue front. Investors liked the news that Exxon plans to restructure its upstream business to reduce costs and bolster operating cash flow by 2025. On the European front, shares of Deutsche Bank (NYSE: DB) were off another 3.72% after the German banking giant reported earnings. The embattled financial institution reported its first annual profit since 2014. However, broader uncertainty remains from investors. On Friday, look for earnings reports from Chevron Corp. (NYSE: CVX), Cigna Holding Co. (NYSE: CI), Weatherford International Plc. (NYSE: WFT), Roper Technologies Inc. (NYSE: ROP), Merck & Co. Inc. (NYSE: MRK), Honeywell International Inc. (NYSE: HON), and Johnson Controls International Plc. (NYSE: JCI). These 3 Stocks Are the Key to 2019's Greatest ProfitsThe 2018 midterm election was a turning point for the cannabis industry.
- [By Craig Jones]
Mike Khouw spoke on CNBC's "Options Action" about a bearish options activity in Deutsche Bank AG (USA) (NYSE: DB). The put options volume was 10 times the average daily put options volume and most of that activity was concentrated in the August 7 puts.
- [By Steve Symington]
Still, several individual stocks easily outperformed the rest, including AMD (NASDAQ:AMD), Deutsche Bank (NYSE:DB), and Bank of America (NYSE:BAC). Here's why they did so well.
- [By Garrett Baldwin]
The only capital plan rejected by the U.S. central bank was proposed by the U.S. unit of Deutsche Bank AG (NYSE: DB). DB CEO Christian Sewing promptly said this morning that the German banking giant will not get rid of its American banking unit despite what the Fed described as "widespread and critical deficiencies" in its capital planning.
Top 10 Financial Stocks To Watch Right Now: Timberland Bancorp Inc.(TSBK)
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Ethan Ryder]
Press coverage about Timberland Bancorp (NASDAQ:TSBK) has trended somewhat positive on Friday, according to Accern Sentiment Analysis. Accern ranks the sentiment of press coverage by analyzing more than twenty million blog and news sources in real-time. Accern ranks coverage of companies on a scale of -1 to 1, with scores nearest to one being the most favorable. Timberland Bancorp earned a daily sentiment score of 0.01 on Accern’s scale. Accern also gave media coverage about the savings and loans company an impact score of 46.0053181885204 out of 100, indicating that recent press coverage is somewhat unlikely to have an impact on the company’s share price in the near future.
- [By Shane Hupp]
Timberland Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ:TSBK) declared a None dividend on Tuesday, April 24th, Zacks reports. Investors of record on Friday, May 11th will be paid a dividend of 0.23 per share by the savings and loans company on Friday, May 25th. This represents a dividend yield of 1.61%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 10th.
Top 10 Financial Stocks To Watch Right Now: Weingarten Realty Investors(WRI)
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Stephan Byrd]
State of Alaska Department of Revenue trimmed its position in Weingarten Realty Investors (NYSE:WRI) by 7.8% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 70,653 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock after selling 6,007 shares during the period. State of Alaska Department of Revenue’s holdings in Weingarten Realty Investors were worth $2,175,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.
- [By Stephan Byrd]
Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Weingarten Realty (WRI)
For more information about research offerings from Zacks Investment Research, visit Zacks.com
- [By Shane Hupp]
Weingarten Realty Investors (NYSE:WRI) was upgraded by equities research analysts at ValuEngine from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report released on Thursday.
- [By Ethan Ryder]
Weingarten Realty Investors (NYSE:WRI) has been given an average recommendation of “Hold” by the fourteen ratings firms that are covering the stock, MarketBeat reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have given a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 12 month target price among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $32.14.
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