Core Insights - The company reported a GAAP earnings per share of $1.03 in Q4, reflecting a 9-cent increase year-over-year but a 1-cent decrease from the previous quarter, with expenses related to the Santander branch acquisition impacting results [1] - Operating earnings per share were $1.12, up from $1.00 a year earlier and $1.09 in the third quarter, indicating strong operational performance [1] - The company achieved record operating revenues of $215.6 million, a 4.2% increase from the third quarter and a 10% increase year-over-year, driven by net interest income growth [7] Financial Performance - Net interest income reached $133.4 million, up 4.1% from the third quarter and 11.2% year-over-year, marking the seventh consecutive quarter of NII expansion [8] - Operating non-interest revenues increased by 8% year-over-year and 4.4% from the third quarter, with non-interest revenues representing 38% of total operating revenues [9] - Total non-interest expense was $138.5 million, an 8% increase from the third quarter, primarily due to performance-based incentives and acquisition-related costs [11] Growth Strategy and Outlook - The company expects loan growth of 3.5%–6%, deposit growth of 2%–3%, and net interest income growth of 8%–12% for 2026, with plans for expansion through new branches and the ClearPoint acquisition [5][24] - Management highlighted the opening of 15 de novo branches in 2025 and aims to double deposits in these locations by the end of 2026 [15] - The acquisition of ClearPoint Federal Bank & Trust is anticipated to close in Q2 2026, which will enhance the wealth management business [17] Credit Quality and Expenses - The company recorded a provision for credit losses of $5.0 million in Q4, down from $6.2 million a year earlier, indicating stable credit quality [10] - Non-performing loans and net charge-off ratios remained consistent with the previous quarter, while the allowance for credit losses increased to $87.9 million [12] - Elevated expenses were attributed to performance-based incentives, acquisition costs, and branch consolidation activities [6][18]

Economic Overview - The U.S. economy shows resilience with a GDP growth of 4.4% in Q3 2025, up from 3.8% in the previous quarter, driven by a 3.5% increase in consumer spending, the fastest in three years [1] - The AI-driven boom and the Federal Reserve's supportive monetary policy are contributing factors to the economic expansion [1] Inflation and Labor Market - The Personal Consumption Expenditures index for November is at 2.8% year over year, up from 2.7% in October, remaining above the 2% target [2] - Unemployment is stable at around 4.4%, but job openings are decreasing, indicating potential labor market concerns [2] - Analysts predict cooling economic conditions due to uncertainties related to tariffs and trade policies [2] Dividend-Paying Stocks - Investors looking to diversify can consider dividend-paying stocks, which indicate a healthy business model and can withstand market volatility [3] - Stocks with recent dividend increases tend to have a sound financial structure and outperform non-dividend-paying stocks in volatile markets [3] USCB Financial - USCB Financial, a community bank, has declared a dividend of 13 cents per share with a dividend yield of 2% [4] - Over the past five years, USCB has increased its dividend twice, with a payout ratio of 25% of earnings [5] Amalgamated Financial - Amalgamated Financial, a full-service commercial bank, announced a dividend of 17 cents per share and has a dividend yield of 1.6% [6] - The company has increased its dividend four times in the past five years, with a payout ratio of 16% of earnings [7] Cadre Holdings - Cadre Holdings, a manufacturer of safety equipment, declared a dividend of 10 cents per share with a yield of 0.9% [10] - The company has increased its dividend three times in the past five years, with a payout ratio of 34% of earnings [10] Cadence Bank - Cadence Bank announced a dividend of 34 cents per share, yielding 2.4% [11] - The bank has increased its dividend six times over the past five years, with a payout ratio of 37% of earnings [11] Metropolitan Bank Holding - Metropolitan Bank Holding declared a dividend of 20 cents per share with a yield of 0.7% [12] - The bank has increased its dividend once in the past five years, with a payout ratio of 10% of earnings [13]

Core Insights - Peoples Bancorp reported revenue of $114.46 million for the quarter ended June 2025, marking a year-over-year increase of 4.4% and a surprise of +1.38% over the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $112.9 million [1] - The EPS for the same period was $0.60, down from $0.84 a year ago, resulting in an EPS surprise of -23.08% compared to the consensus estimate of $0.78 [1] Financial Performance Metrics - Total earning assets averaged $8.38 billion, slightly below the average estimate of $8.41 billion [4] - Net Interest Margin was reported at 4.2%, exceeding the average estimate of 4.1% [4] - Efficiency ratio stood at 59.3%, better than the estimated 61.5% [4] - Net charge-offs as a percentage of average total loans (annualized) were 0.4%, matching the average estimate [4] - Mortgage banking income was $0.22 million, significantly lower than the average estimate of $0.62 million [4] - Total Non-interest income reached $26.88 million, surpassing the estimated $25.87 million [4] - Electronic banking income was $6.27 million, slightly above the average estimate of $6.1 million [4] - Bank owned life insurance income was $1.11 million, exceeding the average estimate of $0.95 million [4] - Insurance income was reported at $4.55 million, above the average estimate of $4.38 million [4] - Deposit account service charges totaled $4.06 million, slightly above the average estimate of $4.05 million [4] - Net Interest Income was $87.58 million, higher than the average estimate of $87.11 million [4] - Net interest income on a fully tax-equivalent basis was $87.86 million, also exceeding the average estimate of $87.11 million [4] Stock Performance - Shares of Peoples Bancorp have returned +5.6% over the past month, compared to the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +5.9% change [3] - The stock currently holds a Zacks Rank 4 (Sell), indicating potential underperformance relative to the broader market in the near term [3]