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On Tuesday, Piper Sandler analyst Stephen Scouten upgraded BankUnited (NYSE:BKU) shares, changing the rating from Neutral to Overweight and setting a price target of $41.00. Scouten highlighted that BankUnited is currently trading at approximately 86% of its tangible book value per share (TBVPS), noting a decrease of 18% year-to-date and around 24% from February 6th. According to InvestingPro data, the stock’s current P/E ratio of 10.1x and price-to-book ratio of 0.83x suggest attractive valuation levels, with the stock currently trading near its Fair Value.
Despite BankUnited’s performance delivering below-peer returns, with projected return on assets (ROA) and return on equity (ROE) of 0.70% and 8.2% respectively for the year 2026, Scouten sees a directional improvement continuing. He pointed out that BankUnited is one of the few names where the loan loss reserve percentage is being increased through 2026 as the bank shifts away from residential real estate lending, which should mitigate concerns about elevated loan loss provisions. InvestingPro analysis reveals the bank has maintained dividend payments for 15 consecutive years and shows a healthy dividend yield of 3.7%, with 4 analysts recently revising earnings estimates upward for the upcoming period.
Scouten also mentioned that on a core basis, BankUnited’s deposit base and net interest margin (NIM) have been showing year-over-year improvement. Furthermore, he suggested that although the share repurchase program has been on pause since the first quarter of 2023, it could become more attractive at current levels and potentially fuel greater upside in the shares. Recent InvestingPro data shows revenue growth of 9.77% in the last twelve months, supporting the positive operational trajectory.
The price target of $41.00 set by Piper Sandler is based on approximately 11.5 times the firm’s 2026 earnings estimate and about 1.05 times the projected TBVPS a year out. Scouten described the stock as presenting a low downside risk within the attractive Florida market. This assessment aligns with InvestingPro’s technical indicators showing the stock in oversold territory, with additional insights available in the comprehensive Pro Research Report, which provides deep-dive analysis of BankUnited among 1,400+ US equities.
In other recent news, BankUnited reported its fourth-quarter 2024 earnings, surpassing expectations with an earnings per share (EPS) of $0.91 compared to the forecasted $0.72. The company’s revenue also exceeded projections, reaching $264.46 million against an expected $261.11 million. Despite these positive results, BankUnited’s stock experienced a slight decline in pre-market trading. The bank’s net interest margin improved to 2.84%, with a reduction in deposit costs contributing to this enhancement. Looking forward, BankUnited anticipates mid to high single-digit growth in net interest income for 2025. Additionally, the company expects its net interest margin to reach 3% by the latter half of the year. On the analyst front, there were no specific upgrades or downgrades mentioned in the recent reports. The bank’s focus on transforming its balance sheet and increasing non-interest-bearing demand deposits has been highlighted as a key factor in its performance.
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