On Tuesday, Evercore ISI maintained its In Line rating and $47.00 price target for Ally Financial (NYSE: NYSE:ALLY), citing near-term margin pressures and management's revised expectations for the company's net interest margin (NIM). Management anticipates a decrease in NIM for the third quarter of 2024 compared to the previously expected expansion. The change in outlook is attributed to the current forward curve, which is expected to exert pressure on NIM in the near term.
Ally Financial's management highlighted that the company's asset sensitivity could lead to NIM and net interest income pressure in a shock scenario, whereas a gradual decline in rates would reveal the company's natural liability sensitivity. The company has approximately $60 billion in floating rate exposure through variable rate assets and hedges that could affect NIM. Management also pointed out that leasing dynamics are contributing to a 6-7 basis points pressure on NIM compared to last quarter.
The management team at Ally Financial also addressed the impact of other factors on the NIM, such as an increase in nonaccruals and the effect of the fair value increase in available-for-sale (AFS) securities. Despite these pressures, management is still aiming to reach a 4.0% NIM over time, although there is now greater uncertainty regarding the timing of achieving this goal.
Looking ahead, Ally Financial's balance sheet is expected to remain relatively stable, with retail auto loans balancing the runoff in other earning assets. The company plans to focus on growing its corporate finance portfolio while expecting the mortgage and securities portfolio to continue running off. Management also reiterated the use of credit risk transfers (CRTs) as an attractive option for supporting capital efficiency and plans to use CRTs opportunistically in the future.
In other recent news, Ally Financial has been the subject of various developments. The company's Q2 2024 earnings report showed a 15% increase in revenue and an adjusted EPS of $0.97. Despite facing credit challenges, Barclays and Jefferies maintained their Equalweight and Hold ratings respectively, while RBC Capital upgraded Ally Financial to an Outperform rating.
Additionally, Ally Financial has been grappling with increased credit challenges due to a weakening macroeconomic environment, causing the net interest margin (NIM) for the third quarter to be expected to decline. However, the company's long-term expectations, such as achieving a 15% return on tangible common equity (ROTCE), remain unchanged.
In terms of personnel changes, Ally Financial announced the appointment of Hope Mehlman as the company's chief legal and corporate affairs officer. On the other hand, director Melissa Goldman resigned due to personal and professional considerations.
InvestingPro Insights
Amid the near-term margin pressures faced by Ally Financial, InvestingPro data provides a snapshot of the company's financial health and market performance. With a market capitalization of $9.87 billion and a P/E ratio that has slightly increased to 14.74 in the last twelve months as of Q2 2024, Ally seems to be navigating the challenges with resilience. Despite a decrease in revenue growth of 9.63% in the same period, the company's commitment to shareholder returns is evident, maintaining dividend payments for 9 consecutive years and offering a dividend yield of 3.03%. This dedication to dividends is further supported by two InvestingPro Tips: analysts have revised their earnings upwards for the upcoming period, and they predict the company will be profitable this year, which has been the case over the last twelve months.
The company's profitability and analysts' positive outlook on earnings could provide investors with some reassurance in light of the margin pressures mentioned. Moreover, Ally's price is currently at 70.57% of its 52-week high, with a previous close at $39.66, suggesting potential room for growth towards the fair value estimates of $47 by Evercore ISI and $43.41 by InvestingPro. For those interested in further insights, InvestingPro offers additional tips on Ally Financial, which can be found at InvestingPro.
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