Back to top

Image: Bigstock

The Zacks Analyst Blog Highlights: First Bancorp, Heritage Commerce, Howard Bancorp, National Commerce and Triumph Bancorp

Read MoreHide Full Article

For Immediate Release

Chicago, IL – October 10, 2017 – Zacks.com announces the list of stocks featured in the Analyst Blog. Every day the Zacks Equity Research analysts discuss the latest news and events impacting stocks and the financial markets. Stocks recently featured in the blog includeFirst Bancorp (Nasdaq: (FBNC - Free Report)  – Free Report), Heritage Commerce Corp (Nasdaq: (HTBK - Free Report) – Free Report), Howard Bancorp, Inc. (Nasdaq:  – Free Report), National Commerce Corporation (Nasdaq:  – Free Report) and Triumph Bancorp, Inc. (Nasdaq:  – Free Report).

Today, Zacks is promoting its ''Buy'' stock recommendations. Get #1Stock of the Day pick for free.

Here are highlights from Monday’s Analyst Blog:                  

Will These Stocks Gain Substantially on Q3 Earnings?

A favorable operating backdrop with the Fed’s plans to unwind its giant balance sheet and keep increasing interest rates as well as investors’ optimism over potential tax reforms should continue to support banking stocks. This perception has already made the sector favorite among investors. So stocks delivering solid Q3 earnings performance will attract significant investors’ attention.   

In addition to the benefits from rising interest rates, a moderate improvement in lending compared with last year — particularly in the areas of commercial and consumer — might energize interest income for banks. Further, credit quality is anticipated to remain strong, backed by an improving economy and conservative underwriting standards.

Though banks will likely remain under pressure due to lackluster fixed-income trading activities on low volatility during the third quarter, continued momentum in investment banking business and the cost-containment efforts should continue to support the bottom-line numbers.

Here, we present a handful of stocks that are expected to generate solid returns on their Q3 numbers that are expected to be robust on both top and bottom lines.

Selecting the Winning Stocks

We have taken the help of the Zacks Stock Screener to shortlist banking stocks with a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) or #2 (Buy). Then we shortlisted stocks that are expected to report more than 5% year-over-year growth in EPS and revenues in Q3.

Here are the top six bank stocks that passed the screen:

Southern Pines, NC-based First Bancorp (Nasdaq: (FBNC - Free Report) – Free Report) is a banking products and services provider for individuals and small to medium-sized businesses, mainly in North Carolina and northeastern South Carolina.

Zacks Rank: #2
Market Cap: $849.2 million
Projected Q3 EPS Growth: 25.8%
Projected Q3 Sales Growth: 28.8%

You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Heritage Commerce Corp (Nasdaq: (HTBK - Free Report) – Free Report) headquartered in San Jose, CA, is engaged in providing commercial and personal banking services to residents, and the business or professional community in California.

Zacks Rank: #2
Market Cap: $542.6 million
Projected Q3 EPS Growth: 15.8%
Projected Q3 Sales Growth: 5.3%

Howard Bancorp, Inc. (Nasdaq: – Free Report), headquartered in Ellicott City, MD, is a bank holding company for Howard Bank, providing various commercial banking, mortgage banking, and consumer finance products and services to businesses, business owners, professionals, and other consumers in Maryland.

Zacks Rank: #1
Market Cap: $205.1 million
Projected Q3 EPS Growth: 100%
Projected Q3 Sales Growth: 9.1%

Birmingham, AL-based National Commerce Corporation (Nasdaq: – Free Report) operates as the bank holding company for National Bank of Commerce, providing various financial services to individuals, businesses, business owners and professionals.

Zacks Rank: #2
Market Cap: $602.2 million
Projected Q3 EPS Growth: 14.8%
Projected Q3 Sales Growth: 34.6%

Triumph Bancorp, Inc. (Nasdaq: – Free Report), headquartered in Dallas, TX, is engaged in providing banking and commercial finance products and services to businesses in the United States.

Zacks Rank: #1
Market Cap: $666.5 million
Projected Q3 EPS Growth: 44.7%
Projected Q3 Sales Growth: 29.7%

Looking for Stocks with Skyrocketing Upside?

Zacks has just released a Special Report on the booming investment opportunities of legal marijuana.
 
Ignited by new referendums and legislation, this industry is expected to blast from an already robust $6.7 billion to $20.2 billion in 2021. Early investors stand to make a killing, but you have to be ready to act and know just where to look.

See the pot trades we're targeting>>

Strong Stocks that Should Be in the News

Many are little publicized and fly under the Wall Street radar. They're virtually unknown to the general public. Yet today's 220 Zacks Rank #1 "Strong Buys" were generated by the stock-picking system that has nearly tripled the market from 1988 through 2015. Its average gain has been a stellar +26% per year.See these high-potential stocks free >>.

Get the full Report on FBNC - FREE

Get the full Report on HTBK - FREE

Get the full Report on HBMD - FREE

Get the full Report on NCOM - FREE

Get the full Report on TBK - FREE

Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/zacksresearch

Join us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/home.php#/pages/Zacks-Investment-Research/57553657748?ref=ts

Zacks Investment Research is under common control with affiliated entities (including a broker-dealer and an investment adviser), which may engage in transactions involving the foregoing securities for the clients of such affiliates.

Media Contact

Zacks Investment Research

800-767-3771 ext. 9339

support@zacks.com

https://www.zacks.com/

Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Inherent in any investment is the potential for loss. This material is being provided for informational purposes only and nothing herein constitutes investment, legal, accounting or tax advice, or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold a security. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. It should not be assumed that any investments in securities, companies, sectors or markets identified and described were or will be profitable. All information is current as of the date of herein and is subject to change without notice. Any views or opinions expressed may not reflect those of the firm as a whole. Zacks Investment Research does not engage in investment banking, market making or asset management activities of any securities. These returns are from hypothetical portfolios consisting of stocks with Zacks Rank = 1 that were rebalanced monthly with zero transaction costs. These are not the returns of actual portfolios of stocks. The S&P 500 is an unmanaged index. Visit https://www.zacks.com/performancefor information about the performance numbers displayed in this press release.


See More Zacks Research for These Tickers


Normally $25 each - click below to receive one report FREE:


First Bancorp (FBNC) - free report >>

Heritage Commerce Corp (HTBK) - free report >>