The end of an earnings season can be a great time to discover new stocks and assess how companies are handling the current business environment. Let’s take a look at how WSFS Financial (NASDAQ: WSFS) and the rest of the regional banks stocks fared in Q1.
Regional banks, financial institutions operating within specific geographic areas, serve as intermediaries between local depositors and borrowers. They benefit from rising interest rates that improve net interest margins (the difference between loan yields and deposit costs), digital transformation reducing operational expenses, and local economic growth driving loan demand. However, these banks face headwinds from fintech competition, deposit outflows to higher-yielding alternatives, credit deterioration (increasing loan defaults) during economic slowdowns, and regulatory compliance costs. Recent concerns about regional bank stability following high-profile failures and significant commercial real estate exposure present additional challenges.
The 105 regional banks stocks we track reported a mixed Q1. As a group, revenues missed analysts’ consensus estimates by 1.6%.
In light of this news, share prices of the companies have held steady as they are up 1.7% on average since the latest earnings results.
WSFS Financial (NASDAQ: WSFS)
Founded in 1832 as Wilmington Savings Fund Society and one of the oldest banks in America still operating under its original name, WSFS Financial (NASDAQ: WSFS) operates a community banking and wealth management franchise primarily serving customers in the Mid-Atlantic region through its main subsidiary, WSFS Bank.
WSFS Financial reported revenues of $256.1 million, up 2% year on year. This print fell short of analysts’ expectations by 0.6%, but it was still a satisfactory quarter for the company with a solid beat of analysts’ tangible book value per share estimates.
The market was likely pricing in the results, and the stock is flat since reporting. It currently trades at $51.68.
Is now the time to buy WSFS Financial? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free.
Best Q1: Butterfield Bank (NYSE: NTB)
Founded in 1784 as one of the oldest banks in the Western Hemisphere, Butterfield Bank (NYSE: NTB) provides banking, wealth management, and trust services to individuals and businesses in select offshore financial centers including Bermuda, Cayman Islands, and the Channel Islands.
Butterfield Bank reported revenues of $147.8 million, up 3.7% year on year, outperforming analysts’ expectations by 4.4%. The business had a stunning quarter with an impressive beat of analysts’ net interest income estimates and a solid beat of analysts’ EPS estimates.
However, the results were likely priced into the stock as it’s traded sideways since reporting. Shares currently sit at $42.47.
Is now the time to buy Butterfield Bank? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free.
Weakest Q1: Triumph Financial (NASDAQ: TFIN)
Originally focused on traditional banking before pivoting to serve the transportation sector, Triumph Financial (NASDAQ: TFIN) provides specialized financial services to the trucking industry, including payments processing, factoring, banking, and data intelligence solutions.
Triumph Financial reported revenues of $100.8 million, flat year on year, falling short of analysts’ expectations by 3.8%. It was a disappointing quarter as it posted a significant miss of analysts’ tangible book value per share and net interest income estimates.
Interestingly, the stock is up 9.3% since the results and currently trades at $54.43.
Read our full analysis of Triumph Financial’s results here.
TriCo Bancshares (NASDAQ: TCBK)
Founded in 1975 and headquartered in Chico, California, TriCo Bancshares (NASDAQ: TCBK) operates Tri Counties Bank, providing personal, small business, and commercial banking services through branches across California.
TriCo Bancshares reported revenues of $98.62 million, flat year on year. This number lagged analysts' expectations by 0.7%. Overall, it was a slower quarter as it also logged EPS in line with analysts’ estimates and a slight miss of analysts’ net interest income estimates.
The stock is flat since reporting and currently trades at $39.03.
Read our full, actionable report on TriCo Bancshares here, it’s free.
ServisFirst Bancshares (NYSE: SFBS)
Founded in 2005 with a focus on serving underserved mid-sized businesses, ServisFirst Bancshares (NYSE: SFBS) is a bank holding company that provides commercial banking services to businesses and professionals through its subsidiary ServisFirst Bank.
ServisFirst Bancshares reported revenues of $131.8 million, up 18.3% year on year. This result missed analysts’ expectations by 1.7%. It was a softer quarter as it also produced a miss of analysts’ net interest income and EPS estimates.
The stock is down 6% since reporting and currently trades at $72.94.
Read our full, actionable report on ServisFirst Bancshares here, it’s free.
Market Update
As a result of the Fed’s rate hikes in 2022 and 2023, inflation has come down from frothy levels post-pandemic. The general rise in the price of goods and services is trending towards the Fed’s 2% goal as of late, which is good news. The higher rates that fought inflation also didn't slow economic activity enough to catalyze a recession. So far, soft landing. This, combined with recent rate cuts (half a percent in September 2024 and a quarter percent in November 2024) have led to strong stock market performance in 2024. The icing on the cake for 2024 returns was Donald Trump’s victory in the U.S. Presidential Election in early November, sending major indices to all-time highs in the week following the election. Still, debates around the health of the economy and the impact of potential tariffs and corporate tax cuts remain, leaving much uncertainty around 2025.
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