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Mercantile Bank

Mercantile Bank Corporation - Common Stock

National Bankshares

Analyst ratings are quantitative and qualitative analysis of a stock by Wall Street stock rating analysts. Stock ratings consist of expected future growth, current stock valuation and macroeconomic trends.

Brandan Nosal's

first financial shutter

A Piper Sandler analyst note on Monday sent shares of First Financial Bancorp (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/FFBC#NASDAQ">FFBC</a>) nearly 5% higher with an <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-stock-ratings">upgrade on the stock.</a>



Analyst Brandan Nosal upgraded FFBC from Neutral to Overweight and raised its price target from $23 to $24. 



The revision comes on the back of the bank&#8217;s strong performance in the recent rate cycle, its substantial presence in Cincinnati and other major Midwest cities, and its history of robust returns across different rate environments. Read more on <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/23/07/33171353/why-this-first-financial-bancorp-analyst-is-bullish-in-a-tough-year-for-regional-ba">Nosal&#8217;s upgrade</a>. 



With shares trading around the $21.50 level at the time of writing, an investor can capture the capital appreciation on shares if the stock hits Nosal's price target — but we're here its 4.28% dividend yield. Read also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/long-ideas/23/07/33122125/how-to-earn-500-a-month-from-medical-properties-trust-stock">How To Earn $500 A Month From Medical Properties Trust Stock</a>



So how can an investor leverage FFBC&#8217;s dividends to pocket a steady $500 each month?



First, as a bank with $17 billion in assets, spanning across Ohio, Indiana, northern Kentucky, and northeast Illinois. FFBC also has a solid funding base and an asset-sensitive balance sheet.



Assuming its 4.28% dividend yield, to earn $500 per month or $6,000 per year solely from dividends, an investor would need about $140,186.91 or 6,526 shares of FFBC. For a more modest $100 per month or $1,200 per year, you'd need to invest around $28,037, or 1,307 shares.



To Calculate: Divide the desired annual income ($6,000 or $1,200) by the dividend yield (0.0428 in this case). So, $6,000 / 0.0428 = $140,186.91 ($500 per month), and $1,200 / 0.0428 = $28,037 ($100 per month).



How That Works: We find the dividend yield by dividing the annual dividend payment by the stock&#8217;s current price.



For example, if a stock pays an annual dividend of $2 and is currently priced at $50, the dividend yield would be 4% ($2/$50). However, if the stock price increases to $60, the dividend yield drops to 3.33% ($2/$60). Conversely, if the stock price falls to $40, the dividend yield rises to 5% ($2/$40).



Similarly, changes in the dividend payment can impact the yield. If a company increases its dividend, the yield will also increase, provided the stock price stays the same. Conversely, if the dividend payment decreases, so will the yield.



Read next: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/large-cap/23/07/33147824/how-to-earn-500-a-month-from-pfizer-stock">How To Earn $500 A Month From Pfizer Stock</a>



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FFBC

How To Earn $500 A Month From First Financial Bancorp Stock

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Piper Sandler Companies took a bullish turn on First Financial Bancorp (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/FFBC#NASDAQ">FFBC</a>) Monday. Here's what investors need to know.



The FFBC Analyst: Brandan Nosal upgraded shares of First Financial from Neutral to Overweight, and increased the price target from $23 to $24. Check out more <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/FFBC/analyst-ratings">FFBC ratings here</a>.



The upgrade came amidst the bank&#8217;s solid performance in the recent rate cycle, its robust market position in Cincinnati and other major Midwest cities, as well as its consistently strong return profile in a variety of rate environments, Nosal said to investors.



First Financial, a $17 billion asset bank holding company headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, operates a 130-branch footprint that spans Ohio, Indiana, northern Kentucky and northeast Illinois.



The bank escaped relatively unscathed from the ongoing rate cycle due to its solid funding base and naturally asset-sensitive balance sheet, Nosal said, resulting in a Net Interest Margin (NIM) increase from 3.15% to 4.55% over the past 12 months. Read Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/government/23/07/33169870/feds-call-for-increased-capital-drives-bank-stocks-higher-paving-the-way-for-a-stronger-financial-sy">Fed&#8217;s Call For Increased Capital Drives Bank Stocks Higher, Paving The Way For A Stronger Financial System</a>



The analyst also said FFBC's outlook is realistic, predicting a NIM decrease to ~3.90-4.00% by the fourth quarter of this year, or the first quarter of next year. The conservative forecast potentially sets a floor on numbers versus other banks, making FFBC a likely strong performer in the "higher for longer" interest rate environment.



The bank&#8217;s history of delivering healthy and durable returns, with core Return on Average Assets (ROAA) &gt; 1% each year over the past decade, signals a strong contribution from fee income sources and a cost-conscious expense base, Piper Sandler said.



The analyst acknowledged potential pushbacks, including the bank&#8217;s larger national businesses and not being the most discounted name in the coverage universe, along with somewhat larger office exposure compared to others.



FFBC Price Action: Shares of First Financial Bancorp are trading 4.38% higher to $21.46, according to data from <a href="https://www.googleadservices.com/pagead/aclk?sa=L&amp;ai=DChcSEwiOlprqyISAAxVfbW8EHXKgDBYYABAAGgJqZg&amp;ohost=www.google.com&amp;cid=CAESbeD21fXjXryPnTnoXVh_mkq3TIJpW4qwP4HvIarFFxeBQ0seXiCoYCaNtixoWxzWwkz3c7UPhB0R76Jx3N0ueLpJ9tlAghLAt4bMt4TAmswuhCUXZfSWNVSY8NIODhH7LQ5BHtXA-A4ThLEGqT8&amp;sig=AOD64_33ss7MN8JjciFSnVBCgEeCSzPSnA&amp;q&amp;adurl&amp;ved=2ahUKEwiqi5PqyISAAxUymokEHe7oCHwQ0Qx6BAgCEAE">Benzinga Pro</a>. Read Next: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/economics/macro-economic-events/23/07/33166821/cpi-preview-will-weak-inflation-data-provide-further-relief-to-markets">CPI Preview: Will Weak Inflation Data Provide Further Relief To Markets?</a>



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		Buy Now							Get Alert
07/17/2024	MBWM	Buy Now	Mercantile Bank	$49.44	7.2%	$42 → $53	Maintains	Neutral	Get Alert
07/24/2023	NKSH	Buy Now	National Bankshares	$31.83	-2.61%	$34 → $31	Downgrade	Overweight → Neutral	Get Alert
03/07/2023	MBWM	Buy Now	Mercantile Bank	$49.44	-19.09%	$38 → $40	Upgrade	Neutral → Overweight	Get Alert

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