DA Davidson, on Thursday, hiked Prosperity Bancshares' (NYSE:PB) price target to $82.00, up from the previous target of $78.00 while keeping a Buy rating on the bank's shares, following a report of stronger than anticipated growth in net interest income (NII), primarily driven by a solid core margin expansion.
The revised price target is based on a target price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 14.1 times DA Davidson's 2025 earnings per share (EPS) estimate of $5.78 for Prosperity Bancshares.
To be sure, Prosperity Bancshares has also retained its fourth-quarter 2024 net interest margin (NIM) forecast of around 3.00%, with heightened confidence in this projection and the possibility of slightly surpassing it.
The bank's core legacy loan and deposit trends faced a bit more pressure than expected. However, Prosperity Bancshares anticipates improvement in these areas with upcoming rate cuts, although DA Davidson remains more cautious on this outlook.
Prosperity Bancshares completed the acquisition of Lone Star on April 1 and is expecting an increase in mergers and acquisitions activity in the event of a change in administration, expressing readiness to engage in such activities.
Meanwhile, Piper Sandler raised its price target for the company to $80, maintaining an Overweight rating based on the bank's recent performance, including improvements in Net Interest Margin (NIM) and Net Interest Income (NII). The firm also highlighted the bank's potential for merger and acquisition discussions and its robust capital position.
RBC Capital Markets also increased Prosperity Bancshares' price target from $70 to $74, following strong second-quarter results and the successful completion of the Lone Star transaction. The bank's core financial outcomes were robust, with a notable expansion of the core margin.
Last but not least, Prosperity Bancshares declared a quarterly dividend of $0.56 per share for the third quarter of 2024 and reported a net income of $110 million for the first quarter of 2024, along with a 10% increase in loans year over year, following its merger with Lone Star State Bancshares Inc. and Lone Star Bank.
InvestingPro Insights
Following DA Davidson's optimistic outlook on Prosperity Bancshares, real-time data from InvestingPro supports a strong financial standing for the company. With a market capitalization of $6.82 billion and a solid P/E ratio of 15.65, the bank's valuation appears reasonable in the current market. Moreover, the P/E ratio has remained stable over the last twelve months as of Q2 2024, indicating consistent earnings performance.
InvestingPro Tips highlight that Prosperity Bancshares has a history of rewarding shareholders, maintaining dividend payments for 26 consecutive years and raising its dividend for 16 consecutive years. This consistency in shareholder returns is a testament to the bank's financial health and management's confidence in its business model. Additionally, the stock is trading near its 52-week high, reflecting strong investor confidence and a robust return over the last month. For readers interested in further analysis, additional InvestingPro Tips are available, which can be accessed with a subscription. Use coupon code PRONEWS24 to get up to 10% off a yearly Pro and a yearly or biyearly Pro+ subscription, and discover the wealth of investment insights that InvestingPro has to offer.
The bank's dividend yield stands at a healthy 3.14%, coupled with a positive dividend growth of 1.82% over the last twelve months as of Q2 2024. The InvestingPro Fair Value estimate of $80.78 also suggests potential upside from the current price, aligning with the positive sentiment from DA Davidson's analysis. With the next earnings date set for October 23, 2024, investors will be watching closely to see if the company can continue its strong performance.
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