Nicolet Bankshares (NYSE:NIC) Stock Price Down 6.5% on Disappointing Earnings

Shares of Nicolet Bankshares Inc. (NYSE:NIC) fell 6.5% on Wednesday following a dissappointing earnings announcement. The stock traded as low as $143.25 and last traded at $144.7750. 266,474 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 35% from the average session volume of 196,831 shares. The stock had previously closed at $154.86.

The company reported $2.75 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.98 by ($0.23). Nicolet Bankshares had a net margin of 26.98% and a return on equity of 12.49%. The business had revenue of $134.85 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $129.74 million.

Nicolet Bankshares Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 15th. Investors of record on Monday, June 1st will be paid a $0.36 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, June 1st. This represents a $1.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.0%. This is an increase from Nicolet Bankshares’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.32. Nicolet Bankshares’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 13.06%.

Key Stories Impacting Nicolet Bankshares

Here are the key news stories impacting Nicolet Bankshares this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Piper Sandler kept an “overweight” rating and set a $183 target (slightly lowered from $185), implying roughly a 24% upside from the current level — supports medium-term upside thesis. Benzinga report on Piper Sandler
• Positive Sentiment: Nicolet raised its quarterly dividend from $0.32 to $0.36 (12.5% increase), increasing the annualized yield to ~1.0% — signals shareholder-return discipline and helps offset near-term earnings concerns.
• Neutral Sentiment: Revenue for the quarter beat estimates ($134.85M vs. $129.74M), which is supportive of top-line momentum even as profitability metrics drew scrutiny. MarketBeat summary
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts and media are flagging the recent MidWestOne merger as a lens for the earnings print, so investors are parsing one-off merger effects vs. underlying franchise performance. Investing.com: Earnings in focus after MidWestOne merger
• Negative Sentiment: Q1 EPS missed consensus: $2.75 reported vs. $2.98 expected (a $0.23 miss). The EPS shortfall is the primary near-term negative catalyst driving selling pressure. Zacks: Q1 earnings and revenues lag estimates
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks Research downgraded NIC from “strong-buy” to “hold,” removing a supportive buy-side recommendation and likely amplifying selling by investors who follow Zacks ratings. Zacks downgradeTickerReport coverage

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

NIC has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Piper Sandler cut their target price on Nicolet Bankshares from $185.00 to $183.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upped their target price on Nicolet Bankshares from $165.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. Maxim Group upped their target price on Nicolet Bankshares from $161.00 to $173.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. Hovde Group reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $190.00 target price on shares of Nicolet Bankshares in a research note on Tuesday, January 27th. Finally, Zacks Research lowered Nicolet Bankshares from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $179.00.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Robert Bruce Atwell sold 6,396 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $155.47, for a total value of $994,386.12. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 34,054 shares in the company, valued at $5,294,375.38. This represents a 15.81% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Insiders have sold 13,036 shares of company stock worth $1,992,022 in the last quarter. 7.20% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Nicolet Bankshares

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC grew its position in Nicolet Bankshares by 3,940.0% in the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 202 shares of the company’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 197 shares in the last quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp bought a new position in Nicolet Bankshares in the third quarter valued at $43,000. Meeder Asset Management Inc. bought a new position in Nicolet Bankshares in the fourth quarter valued at $48,000. Clearstead Advisors LLC grew its position in Nicolet Bankshares by 192.9% in the fourth quarter. Clearstead Advisors LLC now owns 451 shares of the company’s stock valued at $55,000 after purchasing an additional 297 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Parkside Financial Bank & Trust grew its position in Nicolet Bankshares by 45.1% in the third quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 589 shares of the company’s stock valued at $79,000 after purchasing an additional 183 shares in the last quarter. 43.06% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Nicolet Bankshares Price Performance

The company has a current ratio of 0.97, a quick ratio of 0.97 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $151.90 and a 200 day moving average price of $137.45. The company has a market capitalization of $3.08 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.73 and a beta of 0.74.

About Nicolet Bankshares

Nicolet Bankshares, Inc is a bank holding company headquartered in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Through its subsidiary, Nicolet National Bank, it provides a range of commercial and consumer banking services to businesses, individuals and nonprofit organizations across northeastern Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The company’s branch network, digital banking platform and commercial lending centers support its focus on community banking and regional growth.

The company offers deposit products such as checking, savings and money market accounts, alongside consumer and commercial lending solutions.