Piper Sandler has adjusted its price target for Meridian Bank (NASDAQ: NASDAQ:MRBK), increasing it to $13.00 from the previous $11.00, while keeping a Neutral rating on the stock. The firm's analysis followed Meridian Bank's second-quarter earnings report, which showed earnings per share (EPS) of $0.30, narrowly missing the $0.31 consensus estimate by one cent.
"MRBK reported 2Q EPS of $0.30, which we peg as the core. This represents a penny miss versus both us and consensus at $0.31," said an analyst from Piper Sandler.
The EPS shortfall was accompanied by a robust revenue performance, surpassing expectations by $0.04, driven by strong net interest income (NII) and mortgage revenue. The positive revenue development was somewhat counterbalanced by higher-than-anticipated provisioning costs, which exceeded projections by $0.02, and by misses on both expenses and a higher tax rate.
In terms of credit quality, non-performing asset (NPA) balances declined compared to the previous quarter. The improvement was attributed to non-current operating (NCO) losses within the equipment leasing portfolio and commercial loan paydowns. Additionally, the bank experienced loan growth at a rate slightly above 6% on an annualized basis, which aligned with market expectations.
"Loan growth was a little better than 6% annualized largely in line with expectations. Taking a look at our model we see little need for revision off of our previous expectations and so little change to outlook," said the analyst.
After reviewing the earnings details, Piper Sandler indicated that the bank's latest financial results did not necessitate significant changes to their existing model or outlook for the company.
InvestingPro Insights
Meridian Bank (NASDAQ: MRBK) has shown a notable performance in the recent months, with InvestingPro Tips highlighting a strong return over the last three months, which complements Piper Sandler's recent price target adjustment. Analysts are optimistic about the company's future, predicting profitability for the current year, which aligns with the bank's profitable performance over the last twelve months.
Looking at the InvestingPro Data, Meridian Bank's market capitalization stands at $129.59 million, with a price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 10.76, reflecting the market's valuation of the company. Despite a revenue decline of 10.46% over the last twelve months as of Q1 2024, the bank maintains a solid operating income margin of 16.57%, indicating efficient management of its operating costs. Additionally, Meridian Bank offers investors a generous dividend yield of 4.32%, which might be particularly attractive in the current interest rate environment.
For readers interested in a deeper analysis, there are additional InvestingPro Tips available that could provide further insights into Meridian Bank's financial health and performance. To explore these tips and benefit from real-time metrics, consider visiting InvestingPro. Don't forget to use the coupon code PRONEWS24 to get up to 10% off a yearly Pro and a yearly or biyearly Pro+ subscription, providing a comprehensive toolset for informed investment decisions.
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