ServisFirst Bancshares (NYSE:SFBS) Raised to Overweight at Piper Sandler

ServisFirst Bancshares (NYSE:SFBS) was upgraded by analysts at Piper Sandler from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday. The firm currently has a $89.00 target price on the financial services provider’s stock. Piper Sandler’s target price would suggest a potential upside of 3.34% from the stock’s previous close.

Other equities research analysts have also issued reports about the stock. Raymond James Financial raised shares of ServisFirst Bancshares from an “outperform” rating to a “strong-buy” rating and set a $95.00 price objective on the stock in a research note on Wednesday. Hovde Group raised shares of ServisFirst Bancshares from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $89.00 price target on the stock in a research report on Friday, December 19th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of ServisFirst Bancshares in a report on Monday, December 29th. Finally, Zacks Research raised ServisFirst Bancshares from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, December 19th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have assigned a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, ServisFirst Bancshares presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $91.00.

ServisFirst Bancshares Trading Up 12.8%

Shares of SFBS stock opened at $86.12 on Wednesday. ServisFirst Bancshares has a 1-year low of $66.48 and a 1-year high of $93.90. The company has a current ratio of 0.96, a quick ratio of 0.96 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.04. The stock has a market cap of $4.70 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.48 and a beta of 0.93. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $73.08 and a 200-day moving average of $77.75.

ServisFirst Bancshares (NYSE:SFBS) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, January 20th. The financial services provider reported $1.58 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.38 by $0.20. The business had revenue of $162.21 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $151.82 million. ServisFirst Bancshares had a return on equity of 15.67% and a net margin of 25.24%. On average, equities research analysts forecast that ServisFirst Bancshares will post 5.17 earnings per share for the current year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On ServisFirst Bancshares

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of SFBS. Champlain Investment Partners LLC grew its position in ServisFirst Bancshares by 5.1% in the 3rd quarter. Champlain Investment Partners LLC now owns 2,696,260 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $217,130,000 after purchasing an additional 129,732 shares during the period. Welch Group LLC raised its holdings in ServisFirst Bancshares by 1.0% during the third quarter. Welch Group LLC now owns 983,776 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $79,223,000 after buying an additional 9,618 shares during the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted its stake in shares of ServisFirst Bancshares by 26.2% in the third quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 962,164 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $77,483,000 after buying an additional 199,772 shares in the last quarter. Wasatch Advisors LP grew its holdings in shares of ServisFirst Bancshares by 31.6% during the third quarter. Wasatch Advisors LP now owns 667,781 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $53,776,000 after buying an additional 160,465 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Norges Bank bought a new stake in shares of ServisFirst Bancshares during the second quarter worth about $47,309,000. 67.31% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

ServisFirst Bancshares News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting ServisFirst Bancshares this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 results beat expectations — diluted EPS of $1.58 vs. consensus $1.38 and revenue of $162.2M vs. $151.8M; management highlighted a 3.38% net interest margin (up 42 bps Y/Y), improved efficiency (~29%) and meaningful loan/deposit growth. These operational beats are the primary driver of the rally. GlobeNewswire Press Release
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrade — Raymond James moved SFBS to a “strong‑buy” with a $95 price target (noting ~24% upside from the ~$76 level referenced in the note), giving investors a fresh bullish catalyst and influencing buy-side flows. Benzinga
• Positive Sentiment: Capital, liquidity and shareholder returns — CET1 improved modestly, cash & equivalents remain strong (~$1.63B), and the board raised the cash dividend by 13% (to $0.38), supporting investor confidence in earnings durability and capital management. Quiver Quant Summary
• Neutral Sentiment: Earnings call / analyst coverage — Management hosted an earnings call (transcript available) and coverage includes mixed/average brokerage recommendations overall, so follow-up remarks and guidance will shape next moves. Earnings Call Transcript
• Neutral Sentiment: Market reaction context — some outlets note the company’s strong quarterly momentum but broker consensus remains mixed; the Raymond James upgrade is one influential outlier. MarketBeat Coverage
• Negative Sentiment: Credit quality deterioration — nonperforming assets rose to ~0.97% of assets (from 0.26% Y/Y) driven by a large real-estate secured relationship; there were $5.0M of charge-offs and an $8.1M provision in the quarter. This increase in asset stress is a watch item that could limit multiples if it persists. Quiver Quant Summary (credit details)
• Negative Sentiment: Higher tax expense & one‑offs — income tax expense rose significantly Y/Y (noted in the release), and management disclosed some non‑GAAP adjustments; these items can compress reported net income and complicate comparisons. GlobeNewswire (financial detail)
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling noted — recent filings show a material insider sale (CEO), which some investors may view as a mild negative signal; interpret alongside strong fundamentals and other insider activity. Quiver (insider activity)

ServisFirst Bancshares Company Profile

ServisFirst Bancshares, Inc is a bank holding company headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama, and the parent of ServisFirst Bank. The company specializes in commercial banking services, catering primarily to small and mid-sized businesses, professionals and entrepreneurs. Its product portfolio encompasses commercial real estate lending, commercial and industrial loans, deposit accounts, treasury management and other ancillary banking products designed to meet the financial needs of its clients.

ServisFirst Bank offers a full suite of deposit products, including interest-bearing checking, money market accounts and certificates of deposit, as well as a variety of loan products.