Gain detailed insights into the trading activity of Congress members for Regions Finl on our government trades page. Stay updated on how elected officials are investing in RF.

Regions Finl - Government Trades

Regions Finl

Regions Financial is a regional bank based in Alabama, with branches primarily in the Southeastern and Midwestern United States. Regions primarily provides traditional commercial and retail banking and also offers mortgage services, asset management, wealth management, securities brokerage, and trust services.

Netflix office

Price Target

Pre-Market Outlook

Markets

Analyst Ratings

Trading Ideas

$BTC

NFLX

RDDT

RIOT

U.S. stocks settled lower, as the S&amp;P 500 recorded losses after hitting fresh records on Friday.



All three major indices recorded their second consecutive positive week, with the S&amp;P 500 and Nasdaq each gaining around 1.7% last week, while the Dow gained 2.2%.

This Analyst With 86% Accuracy Rate Sees Around 18% Upside In Netflix - Here Are 5 Stock Picks For Last Week From Wall Street&#39;s Most Accurate Analysts

Bitdeer Technologies Group And Trip.Com

Coverage of Bitcoin, Etherum, Ripple and all the latest digital currencies.

Cryptocurrency

Equities

Government

Large Cap

Macro Economic Events

Mid Cap

Broad U.S. Equity ETFs

Commodities

Global

Econ #s

Economics

Tech

ETFs

SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average ETF Trust

FAST

HBAN

INTC

Risk appetite surged on Wall Street at the end of the week, with investors ramping up stock purchases ahead of Monday&#39;s market closure for Martin Luther King Day, which is also when Donald Trump will be sworn in as the 47th U.S. president.

Wall Street Roars Ahead Of Trump&#39;s Inauguration, Intel Rallies, Bitcoin Tops $105,000: What&#39;s Driving Markets Friday?

Grand,Bank,Lobby,With,Atms,In,The,Background

Analyst Color

News

ALLY

FCNCA

FITB

WTFC

Regional banks still have room to thrive, says Truist Securities in its note, highlighting three key paths for regional banks to succeed.

Regional Banks Can Thrive Despite Big Bank Dominance: Truist Securities Highlights Three Key Paths For Thriving Regional Banks

Are Banks Open?

Long Ideas

Market Summary

Initiation

General

NTRS

SCHW

Truist Securities initiated coverage on 24 stocks anticipating earnings and loan growth, steeper yield curve, and ample capital for expansion.

Yield Curve Normalization, Cheap Valuation, EPS Growth To Boost Banks In 2025: Truist Initiates Coverage On These 14 Regional Names

Images of buildings

Sector ETFs

Upgrades

Downgrades

Reiteration

Federal Reserve

KBWB

PNFP

ZION

Analysts at three investment banks are optimistic about regional banks, highlighting several factors likely to improve sector fundamentals.

Are Regional Banks The Next Big Opportunity? Why Wall Street Analysts Expect Multiyear Rally



Finance stocks, in general, and bank stocks, in particular, are not the most exciting investments. But in the last two years, they’ve been mostly dreadful. In 2023, higher interest rates caused several small

3 Regional Bank Stocks to Buy on Relaxed Regulations

banks lending shutter

Regulations

America&#39;s overdraft issuing bodies file a lawsuit challenging the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau&#39;s new decision.

US Lenders File Joint Lawsuit Against Consumer Finance Watchdog For Capping Overdraft Fees: Wells Fargo, JPMorgan, Citigroup Stocks In Focus

Politics

Morgan Stanley analyst Betsey Graseck said on Monday that the firm is Overweight on big banks following Donald Trump&#39;s win and the Republican sweep of the 2024 election.

Big Banks Will Get Bigger Under Trump In 2025: Analyst

Regions Financial Corporation Common Stock

Regions Financial Corp

RF ACQUISITION CORP CL A

RF ACQUISITION CORP T

RF ACQUISITION CORP UNIT 1 CL A & 1 WT EXP & 1 RT 1/10 CL A COM

RF ACQUISITION CORP WT EXP

RF Acquisition Corp II

RF Acquisition Corp II - Right

ROMANA FOOD BRANDS by Romana Food Brands Corp.

Romana Food Blockchain Corp

RiverFront Dynamic Core Income ETF

REFOCUS GROUP INC by Refocus Group, Inc.

RiverFront Dynamic US Dividend Advantage ETF

First Trust RiverFront Dynamic Developed International ETF

First Trust RiverFront Dynamic Emerging Markets ETF

First Trust RiverFront Dynamic Europe ETF

ALPS Active Equity Opportunity ETF

Invesco S&P Midcap 400 Pure Growth ETF

RETAIL FOOD GROUP LTD NEW by Retail Food Group Ltd

Retail Food Group Ltd

RETAIL FOOD GROUP LTD by Retail Food Group Ltd

RENFORTH RESOURCES INC by Renforth Resources Inc.

Renforth Resources Inc

Cohen & Steers Total Return Realty Fund, Inc. Common Stock

Cohen & Steers Total Return Realty Fund Inc

RAIN FOREST INTL INC by Rain Forest International, Inc.

Rain Forest International Inc

RF Industries Ltd

Simplify Exchange Traded Funds Simplify Downside Interest Rate Hedge Strategy ETF

Rafael Holdings, Inc. Class B Common Stock

Rafael Holdings Inc

RAFFLES EDUCATION CRP ORD by Raffles Education Limited

Raffles Education Ltd

RAFFLES ED LTD UNSP/ADR by Raffles Education Limited

Innovator U.S. Small Cap Managed Floor ETF

REFLEX ADVANCED MATLS CP by Reflex Advanced Materials Corp.

Reflex Advanced Materials Corp

RiverNorth Flexible Municipal Income Fund, Inc. Common Stock

RiverNorth Flexible Municipal Income Fund Inc

Refined Metals Corp

RFM Corp

RiverNorth Flexible Municipal Income Fund II, Inc. Common Stock

RiverNorth Flex Muni Income Fund II Inc

RURAL FUNDS GROUP ORD by Rural Funds Group Stapled Securities

Rural Funds Group

RELIANT FINCL SVC CORP by Reliant Financial Service Corp.

Reliant Financial Service Corp

RFOX

Refereum

RioDeFi

Invesco S&P Midcap 400 Pure Value ETF

RUNNING FOX RES CORP by Running Fox Resource Corp.

Running Fox Resource Corp

Regions Financial Corporation Depositary Shares, each Representing a 1/40th Interest in a Share of 5.700% Fixed-to-Floating Rate Non-Cumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock, Series C

Regions Financial Corporation Depositary Shares, Each Representing a 1/40th Interest in a Share of 4.45% Non-Cumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock, Series E

Regions Financial Corporation Depositary Shares Each Representing a 1/40th Interest in a Share of Non-Cumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock, Series F

This whale alert can help traders discover the next big trading opportunities.
Whales are entities with large sums of money and we track their transactions here at Benzinga on our options activity scanner.
Traders will search for circumstances when the market estimation of an option diverges heavily from its normal worth. High amounts of trading activity could push option prices to exaggerated or underestimated levels. 
Below are some instances of options activity happening in the Financials sector: 
<table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Symbol</th>
<th>PUT/CALL</th>
<th>Trade Type</th>
<th>Sentiment</th>
<th>Exp. Date</th>
<th>Strike Price</th>
<th>Total Trade Price</th>
<th>Open Interest</th>
<th>Volume</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>SOFI</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>03/21/25</td>
<td>$16.00</td>
<td>$26.9K</td>
<td>36.6K</td>
<td>4.8K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>SCHW</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>02/21/25</td>
<td>$83.00</td>
<td>$145.0K</td>
<td>201</td>
<td>1.0K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>STNE</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>04/17/25</td>
<td>$8.00</td>
<td>$69.5K</td>
<td>5.1K</td>
<td>515</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>HOOD</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>06/20/25</td>
<td>$55.00</td>
<td>$49.1K</td>
<td>6.1K</td>
<td>407</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>GCMG</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>10/17/25</td>
<td>$12.50</td>
<td>$61.8K</td>
<td>600</td>
<td>400</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>COIN</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>NEUTRAL</td>
<td>01/31/25</td>
<td>$302.50</td>
<td>$29.5K</td>
<td>460</td>
<td>288</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>RF</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>01/16/26</td>
<td>$22.00</td>
<td>$33.6K</td>
<td>1.5K</td>
<td>211</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>V</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>02/07/25</td>
<td>$335.00</td>
<td>$31.5K</td>
<td>247</td>
<td>208</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>XYZ</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>01/16/26</td>
<td>$95.00</td>
<td>$28.2K</td>
<td>1.8K</td>
<td>70</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>AXP</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>01/16/26</td>
<td>$300.00</td>
<td>$83.8K</td>
<td>254</td>
<td>50</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>

<h2>Explanation</h2>
These bullet-by-bullet explanations have been constructed using the accompanying table. 
• Regarding SOFI (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SOFI#NASDAQ">SOFI</a>), we observe a call option trade with bullish sentiment. It expires in 53 day(s) on March 21, 2025. Parties traded 174 contract(s) at a $16.00 strike. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $26.9K, with a price of $155.0 per contract. There were 36619 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 4850 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• For SCHW (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SCHW#NYSE">SCHW</a>), we notice a call option sweep that happens to be bullish, expiring in 25 day(s) on February 21, 2025. This event was a transfer of 890 contract(s) at a $83.00 strike. This particular call needed to be split into 47 different trades to become filled. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $145.0K, with a price of $162.0 per contract. There were 201 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 1004 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• Regarding STNE (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/STNE#NASDAQ">STNE</a>), we observe a call option trade with bearish sentiment. It expires in 80 day(s) on April 17, 2025. Parties traded 500 contract(s) at a $8.00 strike. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $69.5K, with a price of $139.0 per contract. There were 5166 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 515 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• For HOOD (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/HOOD#NASDAQ">HOOD</a>), we notice a call option trade that happens to be bullish, expiring in 144 day(s) on June 20, 2025. This event was a transfer of 84 contract(s) at a $55.00 strike. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $49.1K, with a price of $585.0 per contract. There were 6115 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 407 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• For GCMG (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GCMG#NASDAQ">GCMG</a>), we notice a call option trade that happens to be bullish, expiring in 263 day(s) on October 17, 2025. This event was a transfer of 399 contract(s) at a $12.50 strike. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $61.8K, with a price of $155.0 per contract. There were 600 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 400 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• For COIN (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/COIN#NASDAQ">COIN</a>), we notice a put option trade that happens to be neutral, expiring in 4 day(s) on January 31, 2025. This event was a transfer of 10 contract(s) at a $302.50 strike. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $29.5K, with a price of $2952.0 per contract. There were 460 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 288 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• For RF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/RF#NYSE">RF</a>), we notice a put option trade that happens to be bullish, expiring in 354 day(s) on January 16, 2026. This event was a transfer of 210 contract(s) at a $22.00 strike. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $33.6K, with a price of $160.0 per contract. There were 1522 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 211 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• For V (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/V#NYSE">V</a>), we notice a call option trade that happens to be bullish, expiring in 11 day(s) on February 7, 2025. This event was a transfer of 50 contract(s) at a $335.00 strike. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $31.5K, with a price of $630.0 per contract. There were 247 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 208 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• Regarding XYZ (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/XYZ#NYSE">XYZ</a>), we observe a call option sweep with bearish sentiment. It expires in 354 day(s) on January 16, 2026. Parties traded 21 contract(s) at a $95.00 strike. This particular call needed to be split into 4 different trades to become filled. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $28.2K, with a price of $1345.0 per contract. There were 1841 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 70 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• Regarding AXP (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AXP#NYSE">AXP</a>), we observe a put option sweep with bullish sentiment. It expires in 354 day(s) on January 16, 2026. Parties traded 41 contract(s) at a $300.00 strike. This particular put needed to be split into 7 different trades to become filled. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $83.8K, with a price of $2045.0 per contract. There were 254 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 50 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
Options Alert Terminology 
 - Call Contracts: The right to buy shares as indicated in the contract. 
 - Put Contracts: The right to sell shares as indicated in the contract. 
 - Expiration Date: When the contract expires. One must act on the contract by this date if one wants to use it. 
 - Premium/Option Price: The price of the contract. 
For more information, visit our <a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/blog/how-to-understand-option-alerts/">Guide to Understanding Options Alerts</a> or read <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/options">more news on unusual options activity</a>. 
This article was generated by Benzinga's automated content engine and reviewed by an editor.

Options

COIN

GCMG

HOOD

SOFI

STNE

10 Financials Stocks Whale Activity In Today's Session

U.S. stocks settled lower, as the S&amp;P 500 recorded losses after hitting fresh records on Friday.
All three major indices recorded their second consecutive positive week, with the S&amp;P 500 and Nasdaq each gaining around 1.7% last week, while the Dow gained 2.2%.
Wall Street analysts make new stock picks on a daily basis. Unfortunately for investors, not all analysts have particularly impressive track records at predicting market movements. Even when it comes to one single stock, analyst ratings and price targets can vary widely, leaving investors confused about which analyst&#8217;s opinion to trust.
Benzinga&#8217;s Analyst Ratings API is a collection of the highest-quality stock ratings curated by the Benzinga news desk via direct partnerships with major sell-side banks. Benzinga displays overnight ratings changes on a daily basis three hours prior to the U.S. equity market opening. Data specialists at investment dashboard provider Toggle.ai recently uncovered that the analyst insights Benzinga Pro subscribers and Benzinga readers regularly receive can successfully be used as trading indicators to outperform the stock market.
Top Analyst Picks: Fortunately, any Benzinga reader can access the latest analyst ratings on the <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/22/09/28888638/exclusive-study-finds-benzinga-analyst-ratings-data-yields-market-beating-strategie">Analyst Stock Ratings</a> page. One of the ways traders can sort through Benzinga&#8217;s extensive database of analyst ratings is by analyst accuracy. Here&#8217;s a look at the most recent stock picks from each of the five most accurate Wall Street analysts, according to Benzinga <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-stock-ratings">Analyst Stock</a> Ratings.
Analyst: John Todaro
<ul>
<li>Analyst Firm: Needham</li>
<li>Ratings Accuracy: 90%</li>
<li>Latest Rating: Maintained a Buy rating on Riot Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/RIOT#NASDAQ">RIOT</a>) and raised the price target from $11 to $16 on Jan. 22. This analyst sees around 18% upside in the stock.</li>
<li>Recent News: The company announced it would pause its Bitcoin (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/btc/usd">BTC</a>) mining expansion at Corsicana and instead conduct a feasibility study on converting its remaining capacity to AI and high-performance computing (HPC) use.</li>
</ul>
Analyst: Brandon King
<ul>
<li>Analyst Firm: Truist Securities</li>
<li>Ratings Accuracy: 87%</li>
<li>Latest Rating: Maintained a Hold rating on Regions Financial Corporation (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/RF#NYSE">RF</a>) and increased the price target from $25 to $26 on Jan. 21. This analyst sees a 7% gain in the stock.</li>
<li>Recent News: On Jan. 17, the company reported downbeat quarterly revenue.</li>
</ul>
Analyst: Rohit Kulkarni 
<ul>
<li>Analyst Firm: Roth MKM</li>
<li>Ratings Accuracy: 86%</li>
<li>Latest Rating: Downgraded rating on Reddit, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/RDDT#NYSE">RDDT</a>) from Buy to Neutral and increased price target from $116 to $195 on Jan. 22. This analyst sees around 7% upside in the stock.</li>
<li>Recent News: Reddit will announce fourth quarter and full year 2024 results on Wednesday, Feb. 12.</li>
</ul>
Analyst: Zachary Fadem
<ul>
<li>Analyst Firm: Wells Fargo</li>
<li>Ratings Accuracy: 86%</li>
<li>Latest Rating: Maintained an Equal-Weight rating on Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/EAT#NYSE">EAT</a>) and raised the price target from $130 to $145 on Jan. 23. This analyst sees around 3% decline in the stock.</li>
<li>Recent News: &#8211; Brinker International will release second quarter fiscal 2025 earnings, before the market opens on Jan. 29.</li>
<li>Analyst: Doug Anmuth</li>
</ul>
Analyst Firm: JP Morgan
<ul>
<li>Ratings Accuracy: 86%</li>
<li>Latest Rating: Maintained an Overweight rating on Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NFLX#NASDAQ">NFLX</a>) and boosted the price target from $1,000 to $1,150 on Jan. 22. This analyst sees around 18% upside in the stock.</li>
<li>Recent News: On Jan. 21, Netflix reported stronger-than-expected fourth-quarter financial results.</li>
</ul>
Read More: 
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/25/01/43189390/top-3-materials-stocks-that-may-fall-off-a-cliff-in-january">Top 3 Materials Stocks That May Fall Off A Cliff In January</a></li>
</ul>

This Analyst With 86% Accuracy Rate Sees Around 18% Upside In Netflix - Here Are 5 Stock Picks For Last Week From Wall Street's Most Accurate Analysts

Truist Securities analyst Brandon King maintains Regions Finl (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/RF#NYSE">RF</a>) with a Hold and raises the price target from $25 to $26.

Truist Securities Maintains Hold on Regions Finl, Raises Price Target to $26

Risk appetite surged on Wall Street at the end of the week, with investors ramping up stock purchases ahead of Monday's market closure for Martin Luther King Day, which is also when Donald Trump will be sworn in as <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/donald-trump">the 47th U.S. president.</a>
All major indices posted robust gains in midday trading, setting up for their strongest weekly performance since early November. Broad-based buying lifted every sector into the green, underscoring the strength of the rally.
Adding to the positive mood, the Israeli Security Cabinet approved a ceasefire deal with Hamas <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/global/25/01/43055426/oil-dips-as-israeli-security-cabinet-approves-gaza-ceasefire-yet-experts-warn-red-sea-risks-persist">in Gaza</a>, leaving final government approval as the last step before the agreement takes effect on Sunday.
Chipmaker Intel Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/INTC#NASDAQ">INTC</a>) soared 8.9%, marking its biggest single-day jump since August 2024. The rally was fueled by rumors that the company could be a takeover target. 
Treasury yields edged higher but remained on track for steep weekly declines, following a softer-than-expected December inflation report that eased concerns over aggressive Federal Reserve policy.
The U.S. dollar rose 0.3% on Friday but is still slightly lower for the week, potentially snapping a six-week winning streak.
Gold prices steadied after Thursday's strong rally, while oil prices extended their decline as ceasefire efforts gained traction.
Cryptocurrency sentiment surged, driven by speculation that the incoming Trump administration could announce the creation of <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/25/01/43062518/2025-to-see-dogecoin-etf-strategic-bitcoin-reserve-microstrategy-of-ethereum-predicts-crypto-hedge-fund">a Bitcoin Reserve Fund.</a> Bitcoin (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/btc/usd">BTC</a>) was up 5% to over $105,000. 
<h1 class="wp-block-heading">Friday&#8217;s Performance In Major U.S. Indices, ETFs</h1>
<figure class="wp-block-table is-style-stripes"> 
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Major Indices</td>
<td>Price</td>
<td>1-day % chg</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Nasdaq 100</td>
<td>21,483.46</td>
<td>1.9%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>S&amp;P 500</td>
<td>6,013.18</td>
<td>1.3%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Dow Jones</td>
<td>43,641.72</td>
<td>1.1%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Russell 2000</td>
<td>2,279.34</td>
<td>0.6%</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Updated at 12:45 p.m. ET</figcaption></figure>
According to&nbsp;<a href="https://bzresearch.myclickfunnels.com/benzinga-pro-content-webinar-registration/?utm_source=BZprocontent011525&amp;t=be2bearmibe3na1" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Benzinga Pro</a>&nbsp;data:
<ul>
<li>The&nbsp;SPDR S&amp;P 500 ETF Trust&nbsp;(NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SPY#NYSE">SPY</a>) rose 1.2% to $598.98.</li>
<li>The&nbsp;SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average&nbsp;(NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/DIA#NYSE">DIA</a>)&nbsp;rose 1.1% to $436.12.</li>
<li>The tech-heavy&nbsp;Invesco QQQ Trust Series&nbsp;(NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/QQQ#NASDAQ">QQQ</a>) rallied 1.8% to $522.24.</li>
<li>The&nbsp;iShares Russell 2000 ETF&nbsp;(NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/IWM#NYSE">IWM</a>) rose 0.7% to $226.01.</li>
<li>The&nbsp;Technology Select Sector SPDR Fund (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/XLK#NYSE">XLK</a>) outperformed, up 1.8%; the&nbsp;Health Care Select Sector SPDR Fund&nbsp;(NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/XLV#NYSE">XLV</a>) lagged, down 0.1%.</li>
</ul>
<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Friday&#8217;s Stock Movers</h3>
<ul>
<li>Truist Financial Corp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TFC#NYSE">TFC</a>) rallied nearly 5% in reaction to stronger-than-expected quarterly results. </li>
<li>Other stocks reacting to earnings included Schlumberger N.V. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SLB#NYSE">SLB</a>), up 7.9%; Fastenal Co. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/FAST#NASDAQ">FAST</a>), up 0.64%; State Street Corp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/STT#NYSE">STT</a>), down 3%; Huntington Bancshares Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/HBAN#NASDAQ">HBAN</a>), up 0.39%; Regions Financial Corp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/RF#NYSE">RF</a>), down 0.86% and Citizens Financial Group Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CFG#NYSE">CFG</a>), up 1.8%.</li>
</ul>
Read Now: 
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/01/43062563/imf-lifts-us-growth-outlook-betting-markets-raise-odds-on-trump-led-economic-boom">IMF Lifts US Growth Outlook, Betting Markets Raise Odds On Trump-Led Economic Boom</a></li>
</ul>
Photo: Shutterstock

Wall Street Roars Ahead Of Trump's Inauguration, Intel Rallies, Bitcoin Tops $105,000: What's Driving Markets Friday?

<h3>Gainers</h3>
<ul>
<li>XChange Tec (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/XHG#NASDAQ">XHG</a>) shares moved upwards by 23.9% to $1.14 during Friday's pre-market session. The company's market cap stands at $128.3 million. </li>
<li>William Penn (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/WMPN#NASDAQ">WMPN</a>) stock rose 23.45% to $15.0. The market value of their outstanding shares is at $138.1 million. As per the news, the Q2 earnings report came out 2 days ago. </li>
<li>AtlasClear Holdings (AMEX:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ATCH#AMEX">ATCH</a>) shares moved upwards by 13.83% to $7.57. The company's market cap stands at $2.9 million. </li>
<li>RBB Bancorp (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/RBB#NASDAQ">RBB</a>) shares rose 8.17% to $21.7. The company's market cap stands at $383.9 million. </li>
<li>Top KingWin (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/WAI#NASDAQ">WAI</a>) shares rose 7.91% to $0.36. The company's market cap stands at $64.3 million. </li>
<li>Palmer Square Capital BDC (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PSBD#NYSE">PSBD</a>) stock moved upwards by 7.87% to $16.99. The company's market cap stands at $554.6 million. </li>
</ul>
<h3>Losers</h3>
<ul>
<li>Powell Max (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PMAX#NASDAQ">PMAX</a>) stock decreased by 8.4% to $0.76 during Friday's pre-market session. The company's market cap stands at $11.1 million. </li>
<li>Regions Finl (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/RF#NYSE">RF</a>) stock decreased by 5.8% to $23.1. The company's market cap stands at $20.9 billion. As per the news, the Q4 earnings report came out today. </li>
<li>AppTech Payments (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/APCX#NASDAQ">APCX</a>) shares fell 5.09% to $0.47. The company's market cap stands at $12.8 million. </li>
<li>Bogota Finl (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BSBK#NASDAQ">BSBK</a>) shares declined by 5.04% to $7.54. The company's market cap stands at $98.5 million. </li>
<li>Katapult Holdings (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/KPLT#NASDAQ">KPLT</a>) stock decreased by 4.93% to $9.66. The market value of their outstanding shares is at $42.4 million. </li>
<li>Magic Empire Glb (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MEGL#NASDAQ">MEGL</a>) shares declined by 4.79% to $0.57. The company's market cap stands at $11.5 million. 
See Also: <a href="http://www.benzinga.com/money/best-financial-services-stocks/" title="www.benzinga.com/money/best-financial-services-stocks/">www.benzinga.com/money/best-financial-services-stocks/</a></li>
</ul>
This article was generated by Benzinga's automated content engine and reviewed by an editor.

Movers

APCX

ATCH

BSBK

KPLT

MEGL

PMAX

PSBD

WMPN

12 Financials Stocks Moving In Friday's Pre-Market Session

WIIM

Regions Financial shares are trading lower following a Q4 revenue miss.

Regions Finl (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/RF#NYSE">RF</a>) reported quarterly earnings of $0.59 per share which beat the analyst consensus estimate of $0.55 by 7.27 percent. This is a 13.46 percent increase over earnings of $0.52 per share from the same period last year. The company reported quarterly sales of $1.845 billion which missed the analyst consensus estimate of $1.855 billion by 0.57 percent. This is a 1.82 percent increase over sales of $1.812 billion the same period last year.

Earnings

Earnings Beats

Earnings Misses

Regions Finl Q4 2024 Adj. EPS $0.59 Beats $0.55 Estimate, Sales $1.845B Miss $1.855B Estimate

<h3>Companies Reporting Before The Bell</h3>
• Schlumberger (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SLB#NYSE">SLB</a>) is likely to report quarterly earnings at $0.90 per share on revenue of $9.18 billion. 
• Regions Finl (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/RF#NYSE">RF</a>) is likely to report quarterly earnings at $0.55 per share on revenue of $1.86 billion. 
• Sify Technologies (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SIFY#NASDAQ">SIFY</a>) is expected to report quarterly earnings at $0.00 per share on revenue of $152.30 million. 
• Wipro (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/WIT#NYSE">WIT</a>) is likely to report quarterly earnings at $0.04 per share on revenue of $2.67 billion. 
• Webster Finl (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/WBS#NYSE">WBS</a>) is expected to report quarterly earnings at $1.36 per share on revenue of $611.93 million. 
• Huntington Bancshares (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/HBAN#NASDAQ">HBAN</a>) is likely to report quarterly earnings at $0.31 per share on revenue of $1.88 billion. 
• State Street (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/STT#NYSE">STT</a>) is estimated to report quarterly earnings at $2.29 per share on revenue of $3.26 billion. 
• Citizens Financial Group (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CFG#NYSE">CFG</a>) is estimated to report quarterly earnings at $0.83 per share on revenue of $1.96 billion. 
• Truist Finl (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TFC#NYSE">TFC</a>) is expected to report quarterly earnings at $0.88 per share on revenue of $5.05 billion. 
• Fastenal (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/FAST#NASDAQ">FAST</a>) is projected to report quarterly earnings at $0.48 per share on revenue of $1.84 billion. 
<h3>Companies Reporting After The Bell</h3>
• BOK Financial (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BOKF#NASDAQ">BOKF</a>) is projected to report quarterly earnings at $2.00 per share on revenue of $517.46 million. 
This article was generated by Benzinga's automated content engine and reviewed by an editor.

BOKF

SIFY

Earnings Scheduled For January 17, 2025

ARES

BOTJ

BSBR

CINF

CNCK

CRBG

GRNQ

INTR

ITUB

MKTW

MUFG

RILY

SMFG

UPST

Shares of banking and financial services stocks are trading higher following strong bank earnings.

Regional banks still have room to run and thrive even as it is &#8220;easy to overstate the advantage&#8221; for big banks, says Truist Securities in its latest note, highlighting three key paths for regional banks to succeed.
What Happened: Big banks have clear economies of scale, and they have been re-rated relative to small banks with the top five U.S. banks holding about 47% market share for a decade. According to the Truist Securities note, dated Jan. 6, the big banks are in a better position, but at the same time, individual regionals can position themselves to thrive.
Truist initiated coverage on 14 regional financial companies outlining three key strategies relating to pace, magnitude, and quality for the regional banks to remain competitive.
<ul>
<li>Differentiated Growth: Focus on unique and sustainable growth opportunities via differentiated customer base, a different form of fee Income and a niche business with competitive moat. </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Disciplined Capital Allocation: Efficiently deploy capital to support growth and enhance shareholder value.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Navigating the Evolving Landscape: Adapt to changing market conditions, including interest rates, yield curve shifts, loan and deposit growth, and commercial real estate market dynamics.&#8221;</li>
</ul>
<figure class="wp-block-table is-style-stripes"> 
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Regional Banks</td>
<td>Rating</td>
<td>Price Target</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Fifth Third Bancorp (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/FITB#NASDAQ">FITB</a>)</td>
<td>Buy</td>
<td>$51</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Huntington Bancshares (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/HBAN#NASDAQ">HBAN</a>)</td>
<td>Buy</td>
<td>$19</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>M&amp;T Bank (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MTB#NYSE">MTB</a>)</td>
<td>Buy</td>
<td>$233</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Wintrust Financial (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/WTFC#NASDAQ">WTFC</a>)</td>
<td>Buy</td>
<td>$151</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Citizens Financial (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CFG#NYSE">CFG</a>)</td>
<td>Hold</td>
<td>$49</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Comerica Inc (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CMA#NYSE">CMA</a>)</td>
<td>Hold</td>
<td>$65</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>First Citizens BancShares (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/FCNCA#NASDAQ">FCNCA</a>)</td>
<td>Hold</td>
<td>$2,303</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>KeyCorp (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/KEY#NYSE">KEY</a>)</td>
<td>Hold</td>
<td>$19</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Regions Financial (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/RF#NYSE">RF</a>)</td>
<td>Hold</td>
<td>$25</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</figure>
<figure class="wp-block-table is-style-stripes"> 
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Cards</td>
<td>Rating</td>
<td>Price Target</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Ally Financial (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ALLY#NYSE">ALLY</a>)</td>
<td>Buy</td>
<td>$42</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>American Express (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AXP#NYSE">AXP</a>)</td>
<td>Buy</td>
<td>$350</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Capital One Financial (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/COF#NYSE">COF</a>)</td>
<td>Buy</td>
<td>$229</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Discover Financial (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/DFS#NYSE">DFS</a>)</td>
<td>Buy</td>
<td>$233</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Synchrony Financial (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SYF#NYSE">SYF</a>)</td>
<td>Hold</td>
<td>$72</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</figure>
See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/market-summary/25/01/42867184/yield-curve-normalization-cheap-valuation-eps-growth-to-boost-banks-in-2025-truist-initiates-coverage-on-these-14-regional-names">Yield Curve Normalization, Cheap Valuation, EPS Growth To Boost Banks In 2025: Truist Initiates Coverage On These 14 Regional Names</a>
Why It Matters: The three listed key paths for regional banks and card companies to thrive can be differentiated and linked to the stocks as mentioned by Truist in their research note.
Differentiated Growth Stories
<ul>
<li>Differentiated Customer Base: American Express Co has an exclusive high-end customer base, which would require an investment of over $100 billion to replicate, according to Truist. On the other hand, Fifth Third Bancorp has a unique ability to organically build a strong deposit market share.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Differentiated Form of Fee Income: Capital One Financial Corp has seen an expansion of network revenues following the acquisition of Discover. While, KeyCorp&#8217;s leading regional investment banking franchise will be favored by given the potential for increased deal activity driven by the Federal Reserve&#8217;s interest rate cuts and anticipated political changes.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Niche Business with Competitive Moat: Wintrust Financial Corp secures a dominant position in the highly profitable insurance premium finance market. Whereas, Huntington Bancshares Inc&#8216;s differentiated approach, including its expansion into new lending areas, will support its continued strong performance in loan, deposit, and fee growth across high-quality markets.</li>
</ul>
Disciplined Capital Deployment
<ul>
<li>Another way in which the regional banks could thrive includes a disciplined capital deployment which typically follows organic growth first, followed by dividends and buybacks, and potentially mergers and acquisitions. However, the key lies not in the order itself, but in the flexibility and agility with which banks can adjust their capital allocation strategy in response to evolving company, industry, and macroeconomic conditions.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Truist believes some banks are attractively valued for share repurchases. M&amp;T Bank Corp&#8216;s CFO in a recent conference hinted at higher buybacks in 2025.</li>
</ul>
Navigating The Evolving Landscape
<ul>
<li>According to Truist, it&#8217;s not unusual for multiple challenges to arise simultaneously. The current environment has witnessed sluggish loan and deposit growth amidst rapid interest rate hikes. However, it is anticipated that at least some of these headwinds will begin to abate in the coming year, leading to a more favorable environment for the banking sector</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>CRE Valuation: Banks with significant commercial real estate exposure in high-growth, high-income markets, such as Fifth Third and Huntington, are well-positioned for future CRE origination opportunities. M&amp;T and Citizens Financial Group Inc. will also benefit from an eventual improvement in market conditions.</li>
</ul>
Read Next:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/25/01/42836744/baby-its-cold-outside-these-5-winter-ready-stocks-have-what-it-takes-to-make-you-feel-warm-and-cozy" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Baby, It's Cold Outside: These 5 Winter-Ready Stocks Have What It Takes To Make You Feel Warm And Cozy</a></li>
</ul>
Photo courtesy: Shutterstock

Analysts at <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/truist-securities">Truist Securities</a> initiated coverage on 24 large-cap, regional, and trust banks, as well as credit card companies. They anticipate strong earnings growth over the next two years, projecting an annual increase of 12-15% fueled by factors like improving loan growth, a steeper yield curve, and ample capital for expansion.
What Happened: Forecasting a favorable environment for banks in 2025 and 2026, the analysts at Truist foresee a less stringent regulatory environment, with more clarity and flexibility for banks regarding mergers and acquisitions, and the deployment of excess capital.
The note highlighted that the banking stocks were de-rated during the first two years of Trump 1.0 because the yield curve was flattened and late-cycle macro concerns surfaced, even as the administration enacted bank-friendly tax reform and regulatory tailoring. However, according to the brokerage, a little Fed easing and a steeper curve are necessary for the stocks to be re-rated and two rate cuts are expected in 2025, as hinted by Fed during their December meeting. 
According to Truist, while bank valuations have increased, they remain relatively attractive compared to historical levels. They currently trade at a price-to-book value (P/TBV) below their post-financial crisis average, and at a significant discount to the broader market. The note adds that given the current market valuations, bank stocks appear undervalued relative to the S&amp;P 500.
However, despite Truist beliefs that the sector offers attractive opportunities, careful stock selection is crucial according to them. &#8220;While we're not at &#8216;close your eyes and buy ‘em levels,&#8217; we still see attractive opportunities across the sector and view stock selection as increasingly important,&#8221; the note said.
See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/25/01/42836744/baby-its-cold-outside-these-5-winter-ready-stocks-have-what-it-takes-to-make-you-feel-warm-and-cozy">Baby, It&#8217;s Cold Outside: These 5 Winter-Ready Stocks Have What It Takes To Make You Feel Warm And Cozy</a>
Why It Matters: Truist&#8217;s coverage on 24 financial stocks is spread across three subgroups namely, large-cap, regional, and trust banks, which is initiated with a positive outlook.
<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Large-Cap Banks</h3>
The research note examines long-term investment potential of large U.S. banks as these institutions possess significant advantages, including, &#8220;embedded offense&#8221; with the presence of strong existing businesses and customer relationships.
It also anticipates cyclical tailwinds and capital leverage for such banks given a favorable economic environment and the ability to effectively utilize capital for growth.
These factors position large U.S. banks to achieve organic growth by the expansion of core businesses, double-digit earnings growth and an attractive returns on equity.
<figure class="wp-block-table is-style-stripes"> 
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Large Cap Banks</td>
<td>Rating</td>
<td>Price Target</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Bank of America (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BAC#NYSE">BAC</a>)</td>
<td>Buy</td>
<td>$52</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Citigroup (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/C#NYSE">C</a>)</td>
<td>Buy</td>
<td>$85</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Wells Fargo (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/WFC#NYSE">WFC</a>)</td>
<td>Buy</td>
<td>$82</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>JPMorgan Chase (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/JPM#NYSE">JPM</a>)</td>
<td>Hold</td>
<td>$260</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>PNC Financial (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PNC#NYSE">PNC</a>)</td>
<td>Hold</td>
<td>$215</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>US Bancorp (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/USB#NYSE">USB</a>)</td>
<td>Hold</td>
<td>$54</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</figure>
<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Regional Banks And Cards</h3>
Truist also initiated coverage on 14 regional financial companies outlining three key strategies for regional banks to remain competitive.
<ul>
<li>Differentiated Growth: Focus on unique and sustainable growth opportunities.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Disciplined Capital Allocation: Efficiently deploy capital to support growth and enhance shareholder value.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Navigating the Evolving Landscape: Adapt to changing market conditions, including interest rates, yield curve shifts, loan and deposit growth, and commercial real estate market dynamics.</li>
</ul>
<figure class="wp-block-table is-style-stripes"> 
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Regional Banks</td>
<td>Rating</td>
<td>Price Target</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Fifth Third Bancorp (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/FITB#NASDAQ">FITB</a>)</td>
<td>Buy</td>
<td>$51</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Huntington Bancshares (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/HBAN#NASDAQ">HBAN</a>)</td>
<td>Buy</td>
<td>$19</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>M&amp;T Bank (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MTB#NYSE">MTB</a>)</td>
<td>Buy</td>
<td>$233</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Wintrust Financial (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/WTFC#NASDAQ">WTFC</a>)</td>
<td>Buy</td>
<td>$151</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Citizens Financial (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CFG#NYSE">CFG</a>)</td>
<td>Hold</td>
<td>$49</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Comerica Inc (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CMA#NYSE">CMA</a>)</td>
<td>Hold</td>
<td>$65</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>First Citizens BancShares (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/FCNCA#NASDAQ">FCNCA</a>)</td>
<td>Hold</td>
<td>$2,303</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>KeyCorp (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/KEY#NYSE">KEY</a>)</td>
<td>Hold</td>
<td>$19</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Regions Financial (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/RF#NYSE">RF</a>)</td>
<td>Hold</td>
<td>$25</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</figure>
<figure class="wp-block-table is-style-stripes"> 
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Cards</td>
<td>Rating</td>
<td>Price Target</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Ally Financial (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ALLY#NYSE">ALLY</a>)</td>
<td>Buy</td>
<td>$42</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>American Express (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AXP#NYSE">AXP</a>)</td>
<td>Buy</td>
<td>$350</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Capital One Financial (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/COF#NYSE">COF</a>)</td>
<td>Buy</td>
<td>$229</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Discover Financial (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/DFS#NYSE">DFS</a>)</td>
<td>Buy</td>
<td>$233</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Synchrony Financial (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SYF#NYSE">SYF</a>)</td>
<td>Hold</td>
<td>$72</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</figure>
<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Trust Banks And Capital Markets</h3>
Truist anticipates gradual interest rate decreases, the eventual end of quantitative tightening, and a healthy economy and capital markets providing a competitive landscape to trust banks.
According to the analysts, investors should prioritize stocks with the potential for sustained operating leverage. Which is the ability to increase profitability significantly with relatively small increases in revenue. And stocks with strong capital returns, with high levels of income through dividends and share buybacks.
<figure class="wp-block-table is-style-stripes"> 
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Trust Banks And Capital Markets</td>
<td>Rating</td>
<td>Price Target</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Bank of New York Mellon (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BK#NYSE">BK</a>)</td>
<td>Buy</td>
<td>$91</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Charles Schwab (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SCHW#NYSE">SCHW</a>)</td>
<td>Buy</td>
<td>$86</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Northern Trust (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NTRS#NASDAQ">NTRS</a>)</td>
<td>Hold</td>
<td>$110</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>State Street (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/STT#NYSE">STT</a>)</td>
<td>Hold</td>
<td>$106</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</figure>
Image via Shutterstock
Read Next:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/01/42813271/as-billionaires-load-up-on-energy-stocks-given-trumps-proposed-policies-this-analyst-highlights-charlie-mungers-1962-oil-investment-which-can-outperform-all-the-rest">As Warren Buffett And Other Billionaires Load Up On Energy Stocks, This Analyst Highlights Charlie Munger&#8217;s 1962 Oil Investment Which Can &#8216;Outperform All The Rest&#8217;</a></li>
</ul>

A stronger lending environment, stable credit and renewed confidence in valuations could set the stage for a multiyear rally on U.S. regional banks, with some analysts predicting up to <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/regional-banks">20% upside in 2025.</a>
Three major investment banks — JPMorgan Chase &amp; Co., Bank of America and Goldman Sachs — released fresh outlooks on regional banks Tuesday, issuing rating changes, top stock picks and sector recommendations for 2025.
Overall, analysts at all three firms are optimistic. Goldman Sachs analyst Ryan Nash, for example, highlighted several factors likely to improve sector fundamentals in 2025:
<ul>
<li>Loan Growth Recovery: While still slow, loan growth is expected to accelerate to 6%-7% by the second half of 2025 as corporations resume borrowing.</li>
<li>Net Interest Income Growth: A steeper yield curve and the repricing of fixed-rate assets are anticipated to boost NII. Nash expects margins to expand from the current 3.03% to 3.31% in 2025.</li>
<li>Fee Income Rebound: Treasury management, payments, and capital markets are set to improve, helping banks diversify revenue streams.</li>
<li>Stable Credit Conditions: Credit losses, measured by net charge-offs, are projected to remain flat or decline, while reserves could decrease as economic clarity improves.</li>
</ul>
<ol>
<li></li>
</ol>
According to Nash, the stocks of regional banks are trading at approximately 11.5 times estimated 2025 earnings—near their historical averages but with room for valuation expansion. 
The sector could generate returns on tangible common equity of 14%-15%, compared to 16% pre-2023.
This suggests the group could rise as much as 20% next year, according to Goldman Sachs, assuming the market gains confidence in forward earnings.
<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Goldman Sachs: Upgrades Zions, Downgrades Comerica</h3>
Goldman Sachs upgraded Zions Bancorp (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ZION#NASDAQ">ZION</a>) from Neutral to Buy. The firm predicts a significant upside for the stock, with shares potentially reaching $70 in 2025.
Goldman downgraded Comerica Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CMA#NYSE">CMA</a>) from Buy to Neutral, citing challenges in deposit management, fee income pressure, and elevated expense growth. Comerica's margins are expected to improve in 2025. But Nash sees limited upside, with shares already trading near their fair value of $70.
Goldman's top picks for 2025 include Truist Financial Corp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TFC#NYSE">TFC</a>), Regions Financial Corp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/RF#NYSE">RF</a>), KeyCorp (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/KEY#NYSE">KEY</a>) and Citizens Financial Group Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CFG#NYSE">CFG</a>).
Analysts remain positive on Fifth Third Bancorp (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/FITB#NASDAQ">FITB</a>), Huntington Bancshares Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/HBAN#NASDAQ">HBAN</a>) and First Citizens BancShares Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/FCNCA#NASDAQ">FCNCA</a>).
<h3 class="wp-block-heading">The Case For Valuation Upside</h3>
JPMorgan Chase analysts are similarly bullish, indicating that regional banks are trading at just 1.4x their projected 2025 tangible book value, below the 1.8-2x historical range.
Anthony Elian, a JPMorgan analyst, said regional banks&#8217; valuations appear favorable relative to the broader market.
&#8220;While inflation remains above target, the steeper yield curve coupled with gradual rate cuts should serve as a favorable backdrop for regional banks,&#8221; Elian said. 
He expects the sector to attract more interest from generalist investors in 2025, further supporting valuations.
JPMorgan identified several regional banks with strong upside potential, including First Horizon Corp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/FHN#NYSE">FHN</a>), Synovus Financial Corp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SNV#NYSE">SNV</a>) and Pinnacle Financial Partners Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PNFP#NASDAQ">PNFP</a>). These names are expected to benefit from rebounding loan demand, robust deposit bases, and favorable capital return dynamics.
<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Improving Regulatory Environment </h3>
Bank of America analyst Ebrahim H. Poonawala also indicated that regional banks are poised to outperform the broader market in 2025, citing stronger earnings growth, discounted valuations, and a more predictable regulatory environment.
While Wells Fargo &amp; Co. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/WFC#NYSE">WFC</a>) remains BofA's top pick, the bank also flagged KeyCorp and Huntington Bancshares Inc. as preferred names within regional banks.
The analyst highlighted a favorable backdrop for small- and mid-cap regional banks, particularly those with exposure to rebounding loan demand and capital return opportunities. 
Among these, BofA sees First Horizon Corp. and Synovus as potentially strong performers.
Bank of America highlights that looser regulation is a positive tailwind for the sector.
&#8220;Headlines tied to regulatory&nbsp;changes&nbsp;(once Trump appointees take charge)&nbsp;could kick-in as a positive catalyst&nbsp;for stocks,&#8221; Poonawala said. 
&#8220;We see Fed Vice Chair Michael Barr&#8216;s decision to step down from his position as vice chair of supervision as the opening act.&nbsp;End to Fed&#8217;s QT&nbsp;program&nbsp;could also&nbsp;serve&nbsp;as a positive for deposit growth/pricing,&#8221; he added. 
<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Market Reactions</h3>
The SPDR S&amp;P Regional Banking ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/KRE#NYSE">KRE</a>) was 0.4% lower on Tuesday, while the Invesco KBW Bank ETF (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/KBWB#NASDAQ">KBWB</a>) rose by 0.5%. 
Read Now: 
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/25/01/42822291/2025-industry-shake-up-goldman-highlights-kkr-raymond-james-hamilton-lane">2025 Industry Shake-Up: Goldman Highlights KKR, Raymond James, Hamilton Lane</a></li>
</ul>
Image: Shutterstock

Barclays analyst Jason Goldberg maintains Regions Finl (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/RF#NYSE">RF</a>) with a Underweight and raises the price target from $25 to $26.

Barclays Maintains Underweight on Regions Finl, Raises Price Target to $26

BANR

BBAR

CVBF

EWBC

GGAL

Shares of banking companies are trading lower amid overall market sympathy following the Fed's rate decision to cut rates by 25 basis points.

Overdraft <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/23/12/36272398/us-bank-slammed-for-illegally-collecting-millions-in-overdraft-fees-forced-to-pay-up-americans-are-f">issuers</a> including American Credit Unions, Consumer Bankers Association, American Bankers Association, and the Mississippi Bankers Association, have jointly filed a lawsuit challenging the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau&#8216;s new decision.
What Happened: The U.S. <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/consumer-financial-protection-bureau">watchdog agency for consumer finance</a> decided to cap the overdraft fees which can add up to $5 billion in annual fee savings to the consumers, or $225 per household that pays overdraft fees.
&#8220;For far too long, the largest banks have exploited a legal loophole that has drained billions of dollars from Americans&#8217; deposit accounts,&#8221; said CFPB Director Rohit Chopra. &#8220;The CFPB is cracking down on these excessive junk fees and requiring big banks to come clean about the interest rate they&#8217;re charging on overdraft loans.&#8221;
However, banking and other lending institutions have opposed this move.
According to Consumer Bankers Association president and CEO Lindsey Johnson, &#8220;The CFPB's rule on overdraft services harms Americans who need it most—including the 26 million Americans who don&#8217;t have access to credit and thus stand to lose the most if overdraft services are restricted.&#8221;
The CBA includes JPMorgan Chase, Citi, TD Bank, BMO Bank, and Santander. American Bankers Association&#8217;s president and CEO Rob Nichols said, &#8220;CFPB's final overdraft rule exceeds the Bureau's statutory authority, ignores thoughtful industry and stakeholder feedback, and will harm the very consumers the CFPB claims to protect.&#8221;
&#8220;Financial hardships have serious consequences on families, and overdraft programs provide an affordable lifeline in these circumstances,&#8221; said America's Credit Unions president and CEO Jim Nussle. &#8220;The association is going to continue to fight through legal action to reverse this grave mistake from Director Chopra,&#8221; he added.
See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/24/12/42454495/microsoft-expects-800-million-impairment-charge-due-to-gms-cruise-exit-but-analysts-say-its-a-step-in-the-right-direction-for-automaker">Microsoft Expects $800 Million Impairment Charge Due To GM&#8217;s Cruise Exit, Analyst Says It&#8217;s A &#8216;Step In The Right Direction&#8217; For Automaker</a>
Why It Matters: According to CFPB&#8217;s new rules, lending institutions would have to choose one of the three options when charging for overdrafts.
The first one is to cap their overdraft fee at $5 per instance, while the second option is to cap their fee at an amount that can cover costs and losses. The third option gives freedom to the institution to charge discretionary fees and disclose the terms of their overdraft loan just like other loans.
According to Chopra, &#8220;Consumers have paid an estimated $280 billion in overdraft fees over the past two decades, including roughly $9 billion in 2022.&#8221;
<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"> 
<div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">Many consumers have been hit by multiple fees in a day, because some banks have processed payments to trigger more and more overdraft fees. <a href="https://t.co/ItYPm1ZDnK">https://t.co/ItYPm1ZDnK</a>
&mdash; Rohit Chopra (@chopracfpb) <a href="https://twitter.com/chopracfpb/status/1867258208936472988?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 12, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
</figure>
Price Action: Several U.S. bank stocks took a hit on Thursday after the CFPB finalized the rule.
<figure class="wp-block-table"> 
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Stock</td>
<td>Closing price on Dec. 12, 2024</td>
<td>Change</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Wells Fargo &amp; Co. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/WFC#NYSE">WFC</a>)</td>
<td>$70.80</td>
<td>-1.12%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>JPMorgan Chase &amp; Co. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/JPM#NYSE">JPM</a>)</td>
<td>$241.53</td>
<td>-0.82%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Citigroup Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/C#NYSE">C</a>)</td>
<td>$71.43</td>
<td>-0.74%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Goldman Sachs Group Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GS#NYSE">GS</a>)</td>
<td>$591.61</td>
<td>-0.16%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Morgan Stanley (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MS#NYSE">MS</a>)</td>
<td>$127.91</td>
<td>0.25%</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</figure>
According to <a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/dashboard">Benzinga Pro data</a>, the SPDR S&amp;P Bank ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/KBE#NYSE">KBE</a>) fell 1.1%, while the SPDR S&amp;P Regional Banking ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/KRE#NYSE">KRE</a>) declined 1.2%.
Regional banks were affected, too.
<figure class="wp-block-table"> 
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Stock</td>
<td>Closing price on Dec. 12, 2024</td>
<td>Change</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Flagstar Financial Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/FLG#NYSE">FLG</a>)</td>
<td>$11.05</td>
<td>-2.13%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Citizens Financial Group Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CFG#NYSE">CFG</a>)</td>
<td>$45.54</td>
<td>-1.49%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Regions Financial Corp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/RF#NYSE">RF</a>)</td>
<td>$25.05</td>
<td>-1.38%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Huntington Bancshares Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/HBAN#NASDAQ">HBAN</a>)</td>
<td>$17.17</td>
<td>-1.27%</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</figure>
Read Next:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/24/12/42460199/jpmorgan-reiterates-underweight-rating-on-supermicro-maintains-the-lowest-target-price-among-the-17-tracked-analysts">SMCI Stock Receives Harshest Price Target Among 17 Tracked Analysts As JPMorgan Maintains Underweight Rating On Super Micro: &#8216;No Significant Movement Of Orders&#8217;</a></li>
</ul>
Photo courtesy: Shutterstock

Morgan Stanley analyst Betsey Graseck is Overweight on big banks following Donald Trump's win and the Republican<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/24/12/42382786/morgan-stanley-narrows-down-winning-and-losing-bets-in-the-first-100-days-of-trump-administration"> sweep of the 2024 election. </a>
Expert Ideas: On Monday, Graseck listed three main factors for Morgan Stanley's positive outlook on large-cap banks heading into 2025. She sees capital markets rebounding, the end of quantitative tightening and a stabilizing regulatory environment as beneficial to the industry.
Read Next: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/24/12/42440681/markets-have-the-green-light-to-rally-after-novembers-yawner-inflation-report-experts-say">&#8216;Markets Have The Green Light To Rally&#8217; After November&#8217;s &#8216;Yawner&#8217; Inflation Report, Experts Say</a>
"We're really looking for stabilization in large cap bank regulation, and that's a positive, because elimination of a negative is a good thing," Graseck told CNBC's Squawk Box on Wednesday.&nbsp;
Upgrades: Morgan Stanley upgraded all of the trust banks within its coverage and pointed to the end of quantitative tightening as the driver behind the upgrades. The firm sees deposit growth of between 3% and 7% which would benefit the trust banks as they skew to large institutional asset manager clients.&nbsp;
<ul>
<li>Graseck upgraded Bank of New York Mellon Corp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BK#NYSE">BK</a>) from Equal-Weight to Overweight and raised the price target from $82 to $94.</li>
<li>The firm upgraded Northern Trust Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NTRS#NASDAQ">NTRS</a>) from Underweight to Equal-Weight and raised its price target from $103 to $127.</li>
<li>Morgan Stanley also upgraded State Street Corp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/STT#NYSE">STT</a>) from Equal-Weight to Overweight and raised the price target from $102 to $139.</li>
</ul>
Downgrades: The analyst sees a more balanced risk-reward for Bank of America Corp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BAC#NYSE">BAC</a>) in the coming financial and political environment in which the firm prefers money centers with a higher skew to capital markets. 
<ul>
<li>Morgan Stanley downgraded Bank of America from Overweight to Equal-Weight, but raised its price target from $48 to $55.</li>
<li>Graseck also downgraded Regions Financial Corp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/RF#NYSE">RF</a>) from Overweight to Equal-Weight and raises the price target from $28 to $32.</li>
</ul>
Graseck said the firm is reducing its exposure to credit risk amid the possibility of a recession in 2025. Accordingly, Morgan Stanley downgraded Regions Financial Corp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/RF#NYSE">RF</a>) from Overweight to Equal-Weight due to its outsized exposure to Commercial and Industrial (C&amp;I) lending.&nbsp;
Read Next:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/24/12/42460609/european-central-bank-lowers-interest-rates-fourth-cut-in-2024">European Central Bank Lowers Interest Rates, Fourth Cut In 2024</a></li>
</ul>
Image: Shutterstock

Buybacks

Regions Financial Extends $2.5B Stock Repurchase Program Through Q4 2025; $557M In Shares Repurchased To Date Under Existing Plan

Compass Point analyst Scott Valentin maintains Regions Finl (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/RF#NYSE">RF</a>) with a Buy and raises the price target from $25 to $31.

Compass Point Maintains Buy on Regions Finl, Raises Price Target to $31

Morgan Stanley analyst Betsy Graseck downgrades Regions Finl (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/RF#NYSE">RF</a>) from Overweight to Equal-Weight and raises the price target from $28 to $32.


Tommy TubervilleSenate (R-AL)	$15K - $50K	stock	Sale	Jan 12, 2024	Dec 26, 2023	Senate
Tommy TubervilleSenate (R-AL)	$1K - $15K	stock	Purchase	Jun 15, 2023	May 08, 2023	Senate
Tommy TubervilleSenate (R-AL)	$1K - $15K	stock	Purchase	Apr 08, 2022	Mar 30, 2022	Senate

Government Trades

Regions Financial Corp

top performing RF trades

Popular Channels

Tools & Features

Partners & Contributors

About Benzinga