Banner Corporation (NASDAQ:BANR) Receives Average Recommendation of “Hold” from Analysts

Shares of Banner Corporation (NASDAQ:BANR) have received an average rating of “Hold” from the five brokerages that are currently covering the firm, MarketBeat.com reports. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and two have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12 month price target among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $70.75.

Several equities analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Banner from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, February 28th. DA Davidson reiterated a “neutral” rating and set a $72.00 target price on shares of Banner in a research report on Monday, May 4th. Weiss Ratings raised Banner from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research note on Monday, March 9th. Finally, Piper Sandler raised their price target on Banner from $63.00 to $67.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, April 27th.

Banner Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:BANR opened at $63.26 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.15 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.65 and a beta of 0.85. Banner has a 1-year low of $57.05 and a 1-year high of $69.83. The company has a current ratio of 0.86, a quick ratio of 0.85 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.10. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $62.43 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $62.99.

Banner (NASDAQ:BANR) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, April 22nd. The financial services provider reported $1.59 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.38 by $0.21. Banner had a net margin of 23.24% and a return on equity of 10.77%. The company had revenue of $168.91 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $169.60 million. Equities analysts predict that Banner will post 6.12 earnings per share for the current year.

Banner Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Investors of record on Tuesday, May 5th will be paid a dividend of $0.52 per share. This represents a $2.08 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, May 5th. This is a positive change from Banner’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.50. Banner’s payout ratio is 35.02%.

Institutional Trading of Banner

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Financial Life Planners bought a new position in Banner during the third quarter worth about $32,000. Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Banner during the fourth quarter worth about $31,000. Aquatic Capital Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Banner during the 3rd quarter valued at about $36,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Banner in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $45,000. Finally, Lodestone Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Banner in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $66,000. Institutional investors own 87.33% of the company’s stock.

About Banner

Banner Corporation, through its principal subsidiary Banner Bank, operates as a regional commercial bank headquartered in Walla Walla, Washington. Founded in 2000 as a bank holding company, Banner traces its origins to community banking roots in Eastern Washington dating back to the late 19th century. Over the past two decades, the company has grown through both organic expansion and strategic acquisitions, establishing a strong presence throughout the Pacific Northwest.

The company offers a comprehensive suite of financial products and services for individual and business clients.