Citi raises Pinnacle Financial price target to $148

On Thursday, Citi analyst Benjamin Gerlinger increased the price target for Pinnacle Financial Partners (NASDAQ: NASDAQ:PNFP) to $148.00, up from the previous $132.00, while reiterating a Buy rating on the stock. The new target represents significant upside from the current trading price of $122.04. Gerlinger highlighted Pinnacle Financial's distinctive performance in loan growth within the regional banking sector, attributing the company's success to its strategic hiring practices. According to InvestingPro data, the stock has demonstrated strong momentum with a 41% return over the past year.

Pinnacle Financial Partners, with its robust $9.34 billion market capitalization, has been recognized for its exceptional loan growth, a trend that has been somewhat rare among regional banks. According to Gerlinger, Pinnacle's growth is primarily due to the company's effective recruitment of new talent. He suggests that if there were to be a national increase in loan activity, Pinnacle Financial would likely experience an even greater surge in growth due to improved utilization of existing credit lines and the potential for increased business from long-standing clients. InvestingPro analysis reveals the company maintains a solid financial foundation, with a 'GOOD' overall health score and consistent dividend payments for 13 consecutive years.

The analyst believes that Pinnacle Financial's consistent growth compared to its peers is likely to continue, even if the broader industry experiences an upturn in loan growth. Gerlinger points out that investors are often willing to pay a premium for companies that exhibit strong growth metrics, and Pinnacle Financial's over two-decade-long successful hiring strategy positions it favorably in the market.

The decision to raise the price target to $148 is rooted in a heightened confidence in the company's earnings per share (EPS) outlook for 2026 and 2027. This confidence is bolstered by Pinnacle's robust loan growth coupled with ongoing operational leverage, which are key drivers of the company's financial performance. With current annual revenue of $1.62 billion and a P/E ratio of 20.17, detailed financial analysis available through InvestingPro suggests the stock is currently trading slightly below its Fair Value, making it an interesting consideration for value investors. For deeper insights, investors can access the comprehensive Pro Research Report, available exclusively to InvestingPro subscribers.

Gerlinger's comments underscore the expectation that Pinnacle Financial Partners will continue to outperform its regional bank peers, potentially leading to increased investor interest in the stock based on its growth prospects and operational strategy.

In other recent news, Pinnacle Financial Partners has been the subject of positive analyst attention, with Citi analyst Benjamin Gerlinger raising the price target for the company's stock to $132 from $123, while maintaining a Buy rating. The revision is due to a positive outlook on the company's growth potential in the next two to three years, particularly in loan growth, which is expected to outpace peers. Despite projections of fourth-quarter 2024 results not meeting current expectations due to high deposit growth affecting the net interest margin, Pinnacle Financial is anticipated to perform strongly in the long term.

These are recent developments that highlight the firm's confidence in Pinnacle Financial's ability to capitalize on the current market conditions. The company is expected to maintain its trend of adding lenders at a rate above its peers, which should contribute to a notable increase in loan growth.

Furthermore, despite a projected slight increase in expenses for 2025 and 2026, Pinnacle Financial's financial outlook for 2025 should exhibit low-double digit growth across key areas such as net interest income, loans, and expenses. The company is also considered well-positioned to benefit from potential lender additions if merger and acquisition activity increases within its market footprint.

The new target price of $132 is based on the company's potential for both loan growth and net interest margin improvement once the current excess cash is put to use in lending activities. Pinnacle Financial Partners also experienced robust growth in the third quarter, with significant increases in loans, deposits, and earning assets. The company has adjusted its 2024 loan growth expectation to 7%-8% and raised fee revenue expectations to 23%-26%.

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