HANOVER, N.H., Feb. 06, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ledyard Financial Group, Inc. (OTCQX®: LFGP) (the “Company”), the holding company for Ledyard National Bank (the “Bank”), today announced that its Board of Directors has authorized the repurchase of up to 173,135 shares of the Company’s common stock, which is approximately 5% of its issued and outstanding common stock. “We view our stock to be a compelling investment opportunity and believe that repurchasing shares supports the creation of long-term sharehold ...

Core Insights - CVB Financial Corp. has been recognized by Forbes in its seventeenth annual America's Best Banks list, marking the ninth inclusion in the past decade [1][2] - The company has demonstrated strong financial performance and community engagement, being ranked among the Top 50 Public Banks and Top Three Large U.S. Banks by Deposit Franchise in 2025 [2] - Forbes evaluated ten metrics related to credit quality, growth, and profitability for the rankings of the 200 largest publicly-traded banks and thrifts [3] Company Overview - CVB Financial Corp. is the holding company for Citizens Business Bank, with over $15 billion in total assets, making it one of the 10 largest bank holding companies headquartered in California [4] - Citizens Business Bank offers a wide range of banking, lending, and investing services through more than 60 banking centers and three trust office locations in California [4] - The company maintains a Five-Star Superior rating from BauerFinancial and a BBB+ rating from Fitch Ratings, reflecting its financial strength [2]

As the popular fintech stock trades sideways, institutional investors are increasing their positions.During mid- to late 2025, shares in SoFi Technologies (SOFI 1.45%) were on a tear. Shares zoomed from under $10 to over $30 per share thanks to a series of promising quarterly results. In more recent months, however, bullishness has screeched to a halt.Worse yet, after staying range-bound from September through January, this fintech stock has started to pull back, and now appears to be on a downward trajecto ...

Core Viewpoint - Wells Fargo & Company is undergoing a transformation from a defensive to an offensive strategy following regulatory limitations, with significant growth in assets and a reaffirmed positive outlook from RBC Capital [1]. Group 1: Company Performance - Wells Fargo's assets exceeded $2.1 trillion in Q4 2025, marking a significant achievement after over seven years of growth constraints due to regulatory directives [1]. - The medium-term return on tangible common equity (ROTCE) target for Wells Fargo is set at 17-18%, indicating management's commitment to growth while managing capital ratios effectively [2]. Group 2: Analyst Ratings and Price Targets - RBC Capital has maintained an Outperform rating for Wells Fargo with a price target of $100, reflecting confidence in the bank's strategic transformation [1]. - Evercore ISI has reduced its price target for Wells Fargo from $110 to $105 while still maintaining an Outperform rating, alongside a slight decrease in EPS expectations for 2026 and 2027 to $7.17 and $8.32, respectively [2].

Core Insights - Raymond James Financial Inc. reported mixed first-quarter fiscal 2026 results, with net revenues of $3.7 billion, a 6% increase year-over-year, but pre-tax income and net income available to common shareholders fell by 3% and 6% respectively [1][2]. Group 1: Financial Performance - The Private Client Group, the largest sector of the company, generated revenues of $2.77 billion, reflecting a 9% year-over-year increase [2]. - Asset Management revenues increased by 11% year-over-year, reaching $326 million [2]. Group 2: Future Outlook - The company anticipates quarterly share buybacks between $400 million and $500 million and a 1% increase in fiscal Q2 asset management fees [3]. - Management is focused on organic growth and potential acquisitions, with an expected effective tax rate of 24-25% for fiscal 2026 [3]. Group 3: Company Overview - Raymond James Financial Inc. is a diversified financial services company providing wealth management, capital markets, asset management, banking, and other services to individuals, corporations, and institutions [4].

Company Overview - U.S. Bancorp (USB) has a market capitalization of $87.2 billion and offers a variety of banking, lending, payment, investment, and trust services to individuals, businesses, institutions, and government entities [1] Stock Performance - Over the past 52 weeks, USB stock has increased by 16.9%, outperforming the S&P 500 Index, which returned 14.3% during the same period [2] - Year-to-date, USB shares are up 5.2%, compared to a 1.4% gain for the S&P 500 Index [2] - USB has also outperformed the State Street Financial Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLF), which rose by 3.2% over the past 52 weeks [3] Financial Results - In Q4 2025, U.S. Bancorp reported an EPS of $1.26 and total revenue of $7.37 billion, driven by record consumer deposits of $515.14 billion and an improved net interest margin of 2.8% [6] - The company maintains solid capital metrics, including a CET1 ratio of 10.8% [6] Earnings Forecast - For the fiscal year ending December 2026, analysts project U.S. Bancorp's EPS to grow by 8.4% year-over-year to $5.01 [7] - The company has a strong earnings surprise history, having beaten consensus estimates in the last four quarters [7] Analyst Ratings - Among 24 analysts covering U.S. Bancorp, the consensus rating is a "Moderate Buy," with 11 "Strong Buy" ratings, one "Moderate Buy," 11 "Holds," and one "Strong Sell" [7] Price Target - RBC Capital has raised its price target on U.S. Bancorp to $59 while maintaining an "Outperform" rating [8] - The mean price target of $62.33 indicates an 11.1% premium to USB's current price levels, while the highest price target of $77 suggests a potential upside of 37.2% [8]

Core Insights - Lynn Crump-Caine has been elected as the board chair of Thrivent, making her the only Black woman currently in that position at a Fortune 500 company [1][3] - Thrivent reported revenues exceeding $12 billion and assets under management of over $200 billion, marking the highest metrics in the firm's 120-year history [2] Company Overview - Thrivent provides a range of services including insurance, banking, investment, and financial advice to over two million clients [2] - The firm has a long-standing history of over 120 years in the financial services industry [2] Leadership Transition - Crump-Caine will chair her first board meeting in February and succeeds N. Cornell Boggs III, who will remain on the board [3] - Crump-Caine has been a board member since 2016 and previously chaired the human resources and governance committee [4] Leadership Experience - Crump-Caine has extensive experience, including 30 years at McDonald's Corp, where she was executive vice president of worldwide operations [5] - She is also the founder of OutsideIn Consulting, which focuses on business management and leadership development [5] Board Representation - Crump-Caine's appointment is significant as only two other Black women are CEOs on the 2025 Fortune 500 list, highlighting the importance of diversity in corporate leadership [3][7] - Both Crump-Caine and Boggs emphasized the need for increased Black board representation and corporate engagement in this area [7]

We recently compiled a list of the 9 High Growth Small Cap Stocks That Are Profitable. The sixth stock on our list of high growth stocks is Esquire Financial Holdings, Inc. TheFly reported on January 23 that Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised its price target for ESQ to $85 from $80 while maintaining a Market Perform rating. The firm noted that the company’s core net interest income came in broadly in line with expectations. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods Lift Esquire Financial Holdings, Inc. (ESQ) Target After In- ...

David Long from Raymond James sets a price target of $29 for ALRS, indicating a potential upside of 18.76%.The Q4 2025 earnings call provides crucial insights into ALRS's financial health and strategic direction.ALRS's current trading price of $24.62 shows a 1.07% increase, with a year-high of $25 and a low of $15.78.Alerus Financial Corporation, listed on NASDAQ:ALRS, is a prominent financial services company. It offers a comprehensive suite of services including banking, mortgage, wealth management, and r ...

HANOVER, N.H., Jan. 30, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ledyard Financial Group, Inc. . (the “Company”, OTCQX®: LFGP), the holding company for Ledyard National Bank (the “Bank”), today reported quarterly net income per diluted share of $0.59, for the fourth quarter ended December 31, 2025, up 28% from $0.46 in the prior quarter, as core business activity continued to expand. Strong loan growth continued to drive balance sheet expansion, and wealth management revenue increased with growth in AUM. Reflecting the con ...