Core Viewpoint - The article emphasizes the importance of identifying sustainable trends in short-term investing to maximize profitability, highlighting the challenges investors face in maintaining momentum in stock prices [1][2]. Group 1: Stock Performance - Citizens Community Bancorp, Inc. (CZWI) has shown a solid price increase of 20.2% over the past 12 weeks, indicating strong investor interest [4]. - The stock has also increased by 14% in the last four weeks, suggesting that the upward trend is still intact [5]. - CZWI is currently trading at 98.5% of its 52-week high-low range, indicating a potential breakout [5]. Group 2: Fundamental Strength - CZWI holds a Zacks Rank 2 (Buy), placing it in the top 20% of over 4,000 ranked stocks based on earnings estimate revisions and EPS surprises [6]. - The stock has an Average Broker Recommendation of 1 (Strong Buy), reflecting high optimism from the brokerage community regarding its near-term price performance [7]. Group 3: Investment Strategy - The "Recent Price Strength" screen is a useful tool for identifying stocks with sufficient fundamental strength to maintain their upward trends [3]. - The article suggests that investors should consider other stocks that pass through this screening process for potential investment opportunities [8].

Core Viewpoint - Citizens Community Bancorp, Inc. (CZWI) has received a Zacks Rank 2 (Buy) upgrade, indicating a positive outlook based on rising earnings estimates, which significantly influence stock prices [1][4]. Earnings Estimates and Revisions - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Citizens Community Bancorp for the fiscal year ending December 2024 is projected at $1.34 per share, reflecting a 4.7% increase from the previous year's reported figure [9]. - Over the past three months, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the company has risen by 3.1%, indicating a trend of increasing earnings estimates [9]. Zacks Rating System - The Zacks rating system is based solely on changes in a company's earnings picture, making it a reliable tool for investors to gauge stock performance [2][3]. - The system categorizes stocks into five groups, with Zacks Rank 1 (Strong Buy) stocks historically generating an average annual return of +25% since 1988 [8]. - Citizens Community Bancorp's upgrade to Zacks Rank 2 places it in the top 20% of Zacks-covered stocks, suggesting a strong potential for market-beating returns in the near term [11]. Market Impact - Rising earnings estimates and the corresponding rating upgrade signal an improvement in the company's underlying business, which is expected to positively influence its stock price [6]. - The correlation between earnings estimate revisions and near-term stock movements underscores the importance of tracking these revisions for investment decisions [7].

Here at Zacks, our focus is on the proven Zacks Rank system, which emphasizes earnings estimates and estimate revisions to find great stocks. Nevertheless, we are always paying attention to the latest value, growth, and momentum trends to underscore strong picks.Of these, value investing is easily one of the most popular ways to find great stocks in any market environment. Value investors use a variety of methods, including tried-and-true valuation metrics, to find these stocks.On top of the Zacks Rank, inv ...

Have you been paying attention to shares of Citizens Community Bancorp, Inc. (CZWI) ? Shares have been on the move with the stock up 2.1% over the past month. The stock hit a new 52-week high of $14.59 in the previous session. Citizens Community Bancorp, Inc. has gained 23% since the start of the year compared to the 24.1% move for the Zacks Finance sector and the 21.7% return for the Zacks Financial - Savings and Loan industry.What's Driving the Outperformance?The stock has an impressive record of positive ...

Core Viewpoint - The article emphasizes the importance of identifying sustainable trends in stock prices for short-term investing, highlighting that while trends can be profitable, ensuring their longevity is challenging [1][2]. Group 1: Stock Performance - Citizens Community Bancorp, Inc. (CZWI) has shown a solid price increase of 14.5% over the past 12 weeks, indicating strong investor interest [4]. - The stock has also maintained a price increase of 2.1% over the last four weeks, suggesting that the upward trend is still intact [5]. - CZWI is currently trading at 96.6% of its 52-week high-low range, indicating a potential breakout [5]. Group 2: Fundamental Strength - CZWI holds a Zacks Rank 2 (Buy), placing it in the top 20% of over 4,000 ranked stocks based on earnings estimate revisions and EPS surprises [6]. - The stock has an Average Broker Recommendation of 1 (Strong Buy), reflecting high optimism from the brokerage community regarding its near-term price performance [7]. Group 3: Investment Strategy - The article suggests using the "Recent Price Strength" screen to identify stocks like CZWI that are on an uptrend supported by strong fundamentals [3][8]. - It also mentions that there are over 45 Zacks Premium Screens available for investors to find stocks that align with their investment strategies [8].

Financial Performance - For the three months ended September 30, 2024, net interest income decreased by $0.8 million compared to the same period in 2023, primarily due to higher deposit costs and customer account shifts to higher-cost certificates [225]. - Net income for the three months ended September 30, 2024, was $3.3 million, or $0.32 per diluted share, compared to $2.5 million, or $0.24 per diluted share for the same period in 2023 [230]. - Non-interest income increased by $0.4 million in the third quarter of 2024, mainly due to a $0.5 million higher gain on the sale of loans [227]. - For the nine months ended September 30, 2024, net interest income decreased by $1.8 million, with interest-bearing liabilities costs rising from 2.46% in 2023 to 3.18% in 2024 [231][232]. - Non-interest income for the nine months ended September 30, 2024, increased by $0.3 million, driven by higher gains on loan sales and service charges [234]. - Non-interest expense for the nine months ended September 30, 2024, increased by $1.6 million, largely due to higher compensation expenses related to merit increases and incentive costs [235]. Credit Losses - The total benefit for credit losses for the third quarter of 2024 was $0.4 million, compared to a negative provision of $0.3 million for the same quarter in 2023 [226]. - The total benefit for credit losses for the nine months ended September 30, 2024, was $2.725 million, compared to a provision of $0.175 million for the same period in 2023 [233]. - The company continues to monitor non-performing loan relationships and will adjust the allowance for credit losses as necessary based on changing conditions [261]. - The allowance for credit losses (ACL) on loans at the end of the period is $21,000 thousand, down from $21,178 thousand at the beginning of the period [297]. - Nonperforming assets rose to $17.1 million as of September 30, 2024, compared to $15.4 million at December 31, 2023, primarily due to one agricultural real estate loan moving to nonaccrual status [305]. - Total nonperforming loans (NPLs) were $15.6 million at September 30, 2024, up from $13.6 million at December 31, 2023 [304]. Interest Income and Margin - Net interest income for the three months ended September 30, 2024, was $11.3 million, a decrease from $12.1 million for the same period in 2023 [245]. - The net interest margin for the three-month period ended September 30, 2024, decreased to 2.63%, compared to 2.79% for the same period in 2023 [245]. - For the nine months ended September 30, 2024, net interest income was $34.8 million, down from $36.6 million for the same period in 2023 [246]. - The net interest margin for the nine-month period ended September 30, 2024, was 2.71%, compared to 2.85% for the same period in 2023 [248]. - The interest rate spread for the three months ended September 30, 2024, was 1.99% compared to 2.26% for the same period in 2023 [249]. - The interest rate spread for the nine months ended September 30, 2024, was 2.09%, down from 2.38% for the same period in 2023 [250]. Tax and Regulatory - Provision for income taxes decreased to $0.9 million in the third quarter of 2024, down from $2.5 million in the same quarter of 2023, primarily due to a decrease in the effective tax rate [228]. - The effective tax rate decrease in 2024 is attributed to a Wisconsin state budget change providing tax exemptions on income from certain loans [273]. - The company reported a nine-month total of $3.0 million in income taxes compared to $4.9 million in the same period last year [273]. - Total capital to risk-weighted assets ratio was 15.0% as of September 30, 2024, exceeding the "Well Capitalized" threshold of 8.0% [341]. - Tier 1 capital to risk-weighted assets ratio was 13.8% as of September 30, 2024, above the required minimum of 6.0% [341]. Assets and Liabilities - Cash and cash equivalents decreased by $0.5 million to $36.6 million as of September 30, 2024, from $37.1 million at December 31, 2023 [274]. - Total loans outstanding decreased by $36.0 million to $1.42 billion as of September 30, 2024, from $1.46 billion at December 31, 2023 [282]. - The loan portfolio composition shows real estate loans at $730.5 million (51.3%) as of September 30, 2024, down from $750.5 million (51.4%) at December 31, 2023 [282]. - Total deposits increased by $1.1 million to $1.52 billion as of September 30, 2024, with consumer deposits rising by $22.1 million [313]. - The composition of the deposit portfolio was 56% consumer, 28% commercial, 12% public, and 4% brokered deposits as of September 30, 2024 [314]. Shareholder and Equity - Stockholders' equity increased to $180.1 million as of September 30, 2024, from $173.3 million at December 31, 2023, driven by net income of $11.0 million and unrealized gains of $3.5 million [329]. - The company repurchased 223 thousand shares in Q3 2024 at an average price of $12.91 per share, totaling 382 thousand shares repurchased in the nine-month period at an average price of $12.32 per share [330]. Interest Rate Risk - Interest rate risk is the most significant market risk for the company, influenced by changes in market interest rates and economic conditions [343]. - The projected change in net interest income at +300 basis points is a decrease of 11% at September 30, 2024, compared to a decrease of 13% at December 31, 2023 [351]. - The overall interest rate sensitivity is assessed through net interest income shock analysis over the next 12 months [350]. - The company acknowledges that actual values may differ from projections if market conditions vary from the assumptions used [352].

Citizens Community Bancorp, Inc. (CZWI) came out with quarterly earnings of $0.32 per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.27 per share. This compares to earnings of $0.24 per share a year ago. These figures are adjusted for non-recurring items. This quarterly report represents an earnings surprise of 18.52%. A quarter ago, it was expected that this company would post earnings of $0.27 per share when it actually produced earnings of $0.36, delivering a surprise of 33.33%. Over the last four qua ...

Earnings Performance - Third quarter 2024 earnings were $3.3 million, or $0.32 per diluted share, a decrease from $3.7 million, or $0.35 per diluted share in the second quarter of 2024, but an increase from $2.5 million, or $0.24 per diluted share in the third quarter of 2023[1][4]. - Net income attributable to common stockholders was $3,286 million, an increase from $2,498 million year-over-year[41]. - Basic earnings per share remained at $0.32, consistent with the previous quarter[41]. - The company reported GAAP earnings after income taxes of $3,286 million for the current quarter[50]. - The company reported GAAP earnings after income taxes of $3,286,000 for the three months ended September 30, 2024, compared to $2,498,000 for the same period last year, marking a 31.6% increase[55]. Income and Expenses - Net interest income decreased by $0.3 million to $11.3 million in the third quarter of 2024, down from $11.6 million in the second quarter of 2024 and $12.1 million in the third quarter of 2023[5]. - Non-interest income increased by $1.0 million in the third quarter of 2024, driven by a $0.5 million higher gain on sale of loans and a $0.6 million lower net loss on equity securities[8]. - Non-interest expense rose to $10.4 million in the third quarter of 2024, an increase of $122 thousand from the previous quarter and $452 thousand from the same quarter last year[29]. - Non-interest income totaled $2,921 million, compared to $1,913 million in the previous quarter[41]. - Total non-interest expense rose to $10,421 million, compared to $10,299 million in the prior quarter[41]. Asset and Deposit Management - Total deposits increased by $1.1 million to $1.52 billion during the third quarter of 2024, despite a $30.1 million decrease in brokered deposits[9][22]. - Total deposits as of September 30, 2024, were $1,520.67 million, a slight increase from $1,519.54 million on June 30, 2024[24]. - Uninsured and uncollateralized deposits increased to $267.1 million, or 18% of total deposits, as of September 30, 2024, up from $246.7 million, or 16% of total deposits, at June 30, 2024[25]. - Total deposits as of September 30, 2024, were $1,289,069,000, an increase from $1,209,688,000 for September 30, 2023[46]. - Total deposits reached $1,272,173 million, with a net interest income contribution of $28,712 million[47]. Credit Quality - Nonperforming assets rose to $17.1 million at September 30, 2024, compared to $10.3 million at June 30, 2024, primarily due to one agricultural real estate loan[11][20]. - The allowance for credit losses on loans decreased to $21.0 million, representing 1.47% of total loans, compared to 1.48% at June 30, 2024[17]. - Nonperforming assets increased to $17,144,000 as of September 30, 2024, compared to $15,473,000 for September 30, 2023, reflecting a rise in nonaccrual loans[45]. - The ratio of nonperforming loans (NPLs) to total loans was 1.09% as of September 30, 2024, up from 1.00% for September 30, 2023[45]. Financial Ratios - The net interest margin was 2.63% for the third quarter of 2024, compared to 2.72% in the previous quarter and 2.79% in the third quarter of 2023[6]. - The efficiency ratio remained stable at 72% for both the third quarter of 2024 and the previous quarter[12]. - The effective tax rate was 21.48% for the third quarter of 2024, down from 22.1% in the previous quarter and significantly lower than 50.5% in the third quarter of 2023[10]. - Return on average assets (annualized) was 0.72%, while return on average equity (annualized) was 7.34%[49]. - The average yield on loans receivable was 5.60% for the three months ended September 30, 2024[46]. Shareholder Value - Book value per share improved to $17.88 at September 30, 2024, up from $17.10 at June 30, 2024, and $15.80 at September 30, 2023[3]. - The company repurchased 223 thousand shares of common stock in the third quarter of 2024 at an average price of $12.91 per share, with 333 thousand shares remaining under the repurchase authorization plan[26]. - Tangible book value per share increased to $14.64, up from $13.91 in the previous quarter[53]. - Total stockholders' equity reached $180,149,000 as of September 30, 2024, compared to $165,402,000 on September 30, 2023, reflecting a year-over-year increase of 8.3%[55]. - Tangible common equity as a percent of tangible assets increased to 8.35% as of September 30, 2024, up from 7.34% a year earlier[54].

When it comes to short-term investing or trading, they say "the trend is your friend." And there's no denying that this is the most profitable strategy. But making sure of the sustainability of a trend to profit from it is easier said than done. The trend often reverses before exiting the trade, leading to a short-term capital loss for investors. So, for a profitable trade, one should confirm factors such as sound fundamentals, positive earnings estimate revisions, etc. that could keep the momentum in the s ...

While "the trend is your friend" when it comes to short-term investing or trading, timing entries into the trend is a key determinant of success. And increasing the odds of success by making sure the sustainability of a trend isn't easy. The trend often reverses before exiting the trade, leading to a short-term capital loss for investors. So, for a profitable trade, one should confirm factors such as sound fundamentals, positive earnings estimate revisions, etc. that could keep the momentum in the stock ali ...