On Thursday, Stephens, a financial services firm, adjusted its price target for Pacific Premier Bancorp (NASDAQ:PPBI), increasing it from $25.00 to $26.00 while maintaining an Equal Weight rating on the stock.
This change comes after the bank reported its second-quarter operational earnings per share (Op. EPS) of $0.41, which was below the consensus estimate of $0.43 and slightly above the firm's expectation of $0.39.
Pacific Premier Bancorp's pre-provision net revenue (PPNR) experienced a quarter-over-quarter decline of 16.5%, missing the consensus estimate by approximately 12%. Despite the bank's positive outlook on the potential for improved loan and deposit balance trends, Stephens has adopted a cautious stance, opting for a "wait and see" approach.
The firm anticipates continuing declines in net interest income (NII) and PPNR over the next few quarters due to ongoing funding cost and net interest margin (NIM) challenges, as well as swap-related headwinds expected in the fourth quarter of 2024 and the first quarter of 2025. These forecasts do not account for any balance sheet restructuring, which Pacific Premier Bancorp has indicated a willingness to consider.
Stephens estimates that a full repositioning of the bank's held-to-maturity (HTM) securities portfolio could potentially increase the capital leverage ratio by approximately 100 basis points, from 15.9% to 14.8% common equity tier 1 (CET1) ratio. Such a move could also lead to an earnings per share (EPS) accretion of about 20%-30%. Given the bank's solid capital position and the current depressed earnings profile, the firm views this potential restructuring favorably.
Consequently, Stephens has adjusted its operational EPS forecast for 2025 to $1.27, down from the previous estimate of $1.64. The revised price target of $26.00 reflects roughly 20 times the anticipated fiscal year two earnings per share. The Equal Weight rating suggests that Stephens' outlook on Pacific Premier Bancorp's stock remains neutral.
In other recent news, Pacific Premier Bancorp has reported a decrease in its Q2 earnings for 2024, with a net income of $41.9 million, down from $47.0 million in Q1, and $57.6 million in Q2 of the previous year.
The bank's total assets also saw a decline, standing at $18.33 billion as of June 2024, a decrease from $18.81 billion at the end of Q1 2024, and $20.75 billion a year prior. In addition, the net interest margin for Q2 decreased to 3.26%, from 3.39% in the first quarter.
In other analyst news, Piper Sandler adjusted its outlook for Pacific Premier Bancorp, reducing the price target to $26 from the previous $31, while maintaining an Overweight rating on the bank's stock. This adjustment was due to an anticipated lower net interest margin. However, Piper Sandler highlighted Pacific Premier Bancorp's balance sheet flexibility, noting a common equity tier 1 (CET1) ratio of 15.0%.
In other company news, Pacific Premier Bancorp reported a solid Q1 performance with a net income of $47 million, equating to $0.49 per share, and a net interest margin of 3.39%.
Despite a strategic decline in loan originations, the company remains optimistic about future loan opportunities and continues to prioritize credit risk management and capital deployment strategies. These recent developments highlight Pacific Premier Bancorp's ongoing financial health and strategic approach to the current economic landscape.
InvestingPro Insights
As Pacific Premier Bancorp navigates its operational challenges, real-time data from InvestingPro provides a deeper perspective on the bank's financial health and market performance. With a market capitalization of $2.56 billion and a notable return on assets over the last quarter, Pacific Premier Bancorp is showing signs of resilience. The company's recent revenue of $394.69 million, despite a significant year-over-year decline, aligns with Stephens' cautious outlook on the bank's financials.
InvestingPro Tips indicate that analysts are optimistic about Pacific Premier Bancorp's profitability in the coming year, despite concerns over weak gross profit margins and profitability over the last twelve months. Encouragingly, the bank has demonstrated strong returns over the last month and three months, which could be indicative of a turnaround in investor sentiment. For readers interested in a comprehensive analysis, there are additional InvestingPro Tips available, offering valuable insights into Pacific Premier Bancorp's future prospects. To access these, visit https://www.investing.com/pro/PPBI and consider using the coupon code PRONEWS24 to get up to 10% off a yearly Pro and a yearly or biyearly Pro+ subscription.
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