The end of the earnings season is always a good time to take a step back and see who shined (and who not so much). Let’s take a look at how regional banks stocks fared in Q1, starting with UMB Financial (NASDAQ:UMBF).
Regional banks, financial institutions operating within specific geographic areas, serve as intermediaries between local depositors and borrowers. They benefit from rising interest rates that improve net interest margins (the difference between loan yields and deposit costs), digital transformation reducing operational expenses, and local economic growth driving loan demand. However, these banks face headwinds from fintech competition, deposit outflows to higher-yielding alternatives, credit deterioration (increasing loan defaults) during economic slowdowns, and regulatory compliance costs. Recent concerns about regional bank stability following high-profile failures and significant commercial real estate exposure present additional challenges.
The 105 regional banks stocks we track reported a mixed Q1. As a group, revenues missed analysts’ consensus estimates by 1.6%.
Luckily, regional banks stocks have performed well with share prices up 12.6% on average since the latest earnings results.
UMB Financial (NASDAQ:UMBF)
With roots dating back to 1913 and a name derived from "United Missouri Bank," UMB Financial (NASDAQ:UMBF) is a financial holding company that provides banking, asset management, and fund services to commercial, institutional, and individual customers.
UMB Financial reported revenues of $563.8 million, up 41.4% year on year. This print exceeded analysts’ expectations by 1.2%. Overall, it was a strong quarter for the company with a solid beat of analysts’ net interest income estimates and an impressive beat of analysts’ EPS estimates.
“2025 is off to an exciting start with strong first quarter financial results in addition to the completion of our acquisition of Heartland Financial in January,” said Mariner Kemper, UMB Financial Corporation chairman and chief executive officer.
Interestingly, the stock is up 2.1% since reporting and currently trades at $108.96.
Is now the time to buy UMB Financial? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free.
Best Q1: Butterfield Bank (NYSE:NTB)
Founded in 1784 as one of the oldest banks in the Western Hemisphere, Butterfield Bank (NYSE:NTB) provides banking, wealth management, and trust services to individuals and businesses in select offshore financial centers including Bermuda, Cayman Islands, and the Channel Islands.
Butterfield Bank reported revenues of $147.8 million, up 3.7% year on year, outperforming analysts’ expectations by 4.4%. The business had a stunning quarter with an impressive beat of analysts’ net interest income estimates and a solid beat of analysts’ EPS estimates.
The market seems happy with the results as the stock is up 8.9% since reporting. It currently trades at $46.19.
Is now the time to buy Butterfield Bank? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free.
Weakest Q1: Triumph Financial (NASDAQ:TFIN)
Originally focused on traditional banking before pivoting to serve the transportation sector, Triumph Financial (NASDAQ:TFIN) provides specialized financial services to the trucking industry, including payments processing, factoring, banking, and data intelligence solutions.
Triumph Financial reported revenues of $100.8 million, flat year on year, falling short of analysts’ expectations by 3.8%. It was a disappointing quarter as it posted a significant miss of analysts’ tangible book value per share and net interest income estimates.
Interestingly, the stock is up 26.5% since the results and currently trades at $63.
Read our full analysis of Triumph Financial’s results here.
Ameris Bancorp (NYSE:ABCB)
Tracing its roots back to 1971 and expanding significantly through both organic growth and strategic acquisitions, Ameris Bancorp (NYSE:ABCB) is a financial holding company that provides a full range of banking services to retail and commercial customers across select markets in the southeastern United States.
Ameris Bancorp reported revenues of $285.9 million, up 7% year on year. This print surpassed analysts’ expectations by 3.6%. It was a very strong quarter as it also recorded a solid beat of analysts’ net interest income and EPS estimates.
The stock is up 5.6% since reporting and currently trades at $67.03.
Read our full, actionable report on Ameris Bancorp here, it’s free.
Frost Bank (NYSE:CFR)
Tracing its roots back to 1868 when it was founded during Texas's post-Civil War reconstruction era, Cullen/Frost Bankers (NYSE:CFR) operates Frost Bank, a Texas-based financial institution providing commercial and consumer banking, wealth management, and insurance services.
Frost Bank reported revenues of $540.2 million, up 7.7% year on year. This number missed analysts’ expectations by 1.1%. It was a slower quarter as it also produced a significant miss of analysts’ net interest income estimates.
The stock is up 16.1% since reporting and currently trades at $135.20.
Read our full, actionable report on Frost Bank here, it’s free.
Market Update
As a result of the Fed’s rate hikes in 2022 and 2023, inflation has come down from frothy levels post-pandemic. The general rise in the price of goods and services is trending towards the Fed’s 2% goal as of late, which is good news. The higher rates that fought inflation also didn't slow economic activity enough to catalyze a recession. So far, soft landing. This, combined with recent rate cuts (half a percent in September 2024 and a quarter percent in November 2024) have led to strong stock market performance in 2024. The icing on the cake for 2024 returns was Donald Trump’s victory in the U.S. Presidential Election in early November, sending major indices to all-time highs in the week following the election. Still, debates around the health of the economy and the impact of potential tariffs and corporate tax cuts remain, leaving much uncertainty around 2025.
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