On Friday, Stephens, a financial services firm, upgraded the price target for Five Star Bancorp (NASDAQ:FSBC) to $32.00, a rise from the previous target of $29.00. The firm has retained an Overweight rating on the stock.
This adjustment follows the company's second-quarter performance, which included an operational earnings per share (Op. EPS) of $0.51. This figure marginally exceeded both Stephens' prediction of $0.50 and the consensus estimate of $0.49.
The bank's pre-provision net revenue (PPNR) aligned with market expectations, and its net interest income (NII) saw a 1.5% increase beyond forecasts. Five Star Bancorp reported robust sequential growth in loans and deposits, at 21% and 23% respectively, which the analyst highlighted as particularly noteworthy.
The expansion of the team in San Francisco to 19 full-time employees (FTEs) from 15 in the most recent quarter (MRQ) is seen as a key driver for the bank's accelerating deposit growth and a distinctive advantage for the company.
Furthermore, Five Star Bancorp experienced a significant improvement in its margin, with a 25 basis point increase during the second quarter. However, this margin expansion is expected to moderate in the third quarter.
The analyst anticipates that the rise in loan yields will be largely balanced by the costs associated with brokered funding introduced later in the second quarter. Consequently, the net interest margin (NIM) is projected to see only a slight enhancement in the second half of the year.
In light of these developments, Stephens has adjusted its operational EPS forecast for 2025, reducing it from $2.42 to $2.30. Despite this revision, the firm's confidence in Five Star Bancorp's growth trajectory and differentiation in the market underpins the decision to maintain an Overweight rating while raising the price target to $32.00.
In other recent news, Five Star Bancorp has released its financial results for the second quarter of 2024, highlighting a successful public offering that added 3,967,500 shares and secured approximately $80.9 million in net proceeds. The company has made significant strides in expanding its footprint in the San Francisco Bay Area, hiring five seasoned professionals and increasing its non-wholesale deposits by $118.3 million.
Five Star Bancorp reported a conservative 50% loan-to-value ratio on commercial real estate and maintained an efficiency ratio of 44%. The company's loan portfolio and deposits experienced a healthy increase, with nonperforming loans remaining at a minimal 0.06% of the total portfolio. The company's net income for the quarter was reported at $10.8 million.
The company expects loan yields to rise into Q3 2024 and anticipates deposit growth in the Bay Area to continue or increase. However, it also anticipates lower gains on sales of SBA loans and an increase in the expense run rate by $250,000 per quarter.
These recent developments reflect Five Star Bancorp's robust financial position and strategic expansion efforts. The company's focus on maintaining conservative financial practices while navigating the dynamic financial landscape continues to be evident.
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