Banner (NASDAQ:BANR) Stock Rating Lowered by Wall Street Zen

Banner (NASDAQ:BANR) was downgraded by equities researchers at Wall Street Zen from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note issued to investors on Saturday.

A number of other equities research analysts also recently commented on the stock. DA Davidson reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and issued a $72.00 target price on shares of Banner in a research report on Monday, May 4th. Benchmark assumed coverage on Banner in a report on Wednesday, July 8th. They set a “hold” rating on the stock. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised their price target on Banner from $73.00 to $75.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research note on Monday, May 18th. Weiss Ratings upgraded Banner from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a research note on Thursday, June 18th. Finally, Piper Sandler lifted their price objective on Banner from $63.00 to $67.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday, April 27th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $71.00.

Banner Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ BANR opened at $70.29 on Friday. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $66.63 and its 200-day moving average price is $64.19. Banner has a 52-week low of $57.05 and a 52-week high of $72.65. The company has a market cap of $2.39 billion, a PE ratio of 11.60 and a beta of 0.83. The company has a quick ratio of 0.88, a current ratio of 0.88 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.26.

Banner (NASDAQ:BANR) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 22nd. The financial services provider reported $1.44 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.46 by ($0.02). The company had revenue of $172.11 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $174.54 million. Banner had a net margin of 23.55% and a return on equity of 10.72%. As a group, analysts anticipate that Banner will post 6.17 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Royal Bank of Canada increased its stake in shares of Banner by 54.7% in the 1st quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 22,128 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $1,412,000 after purchasing an additional 7,828 shares in the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in Banner by 19.6% in the 1st quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 29,714 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $1,895,000 after purchasing an additional 4,877 shares during the period. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. lifted its position in Banner by 4.6% during the first quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 20,422 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $1,302,000 after purchasing an additional 891 shares in the last quarter. Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd purchased a new position in Banner during the first quarter valued at $248,000. Finally, UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC grew its holdings in Banner by 5.5% during the first quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 116,471 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $7,427,000 after purchasing an additional 6,059 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 87.33% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Banner

Here are the key news stories impacting Banner this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Banner said it expects mid-single-digit loan growth in 2026, which suggests continued balance-sheet expansion and improving operating momentum. The company also said it expects its Bank of the Pacific acquisition to close in Q3, adding to the growth story. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Management’s earnings-call commentary emphasized strong loan growth and a boost in core earnings, which likely reassured investors that underlying profitability remains healthy despite near-term pressure. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Banner declared a quarterly dividend of $0.52 per share, reinforcing capital return to shareholders and supporting the stock’s income appeal. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Short-interest data showed 0 shares outstanding and no meaningful change, so this does not appear to be a factor driving the stock today.
• Negative Sentiment: Quarterly results missed analyst estimates, with EPS of $1.44 versus expectations around $1.46-$1.47, and revenue also came in slightly below forecasts. That limits upside and may temper enthusiasm around the earnings report. Article Title

Banner Company Profile

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.