Upcoming Ex-Dividend Dates: BlackRock Health Sciences Term Trust, Provident Financial Services, and Truist Financial
Upcoming Ex-Dividend Dates: On 11/14/25, BlackRock Health Sciences Term Trust (BMEZ), Provident Financial Services Inc (PFS), and Truist Financial Corp (TFC) will trade ex-dividend, with respective dividends of $0.11, $0.24, and $0.52 scheduled for payment on 11/28/25 and 12/1/25.
Expected Price Adjustments: Following the ex-dividend date, BMEZ is expected to open 0.73% lower, PFS 1.27% lower, and TFC 1.15% lower based on their recent stock prices.
Dividend Yield Estimates: The estimated annualized yields for the upcoming dividends are 8.81% for BMEZ, 5.09% for PFS, and 4.59% for TFC, indicating potential stability in their dividend payments.
Current Stock Performance: As of Wednesday trading, shares of BMEZ, PFS, and TFC have seen increases of approximately 2.1%, 1.3%, and 0.4%, respectively.
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- Strong Earnings Performance: Provident Financial reported a Q1 GAAP EPS of $0.61, exceeding expectations by $0.06, which reflects the company's ongoing growth in profitability and boosts investor confidence.
- Significant Revenue Growth: The company achieved revenues of $225.7 million in Q1, marking an 8.1% year-over-year increase and surpassing expectations by $0.5 million, indicating robust business growth in a competitive market.
- Positive Market Reaction: The earnings beat is likely to have a favorable impact on Provident Financial's stock price, further solidifying its market position in the financial services sector and attracting more investor interest.
- Optimistic Future Outlook: With the company consistently demonstrating strong financial performance, market expectations for its future growth potential are rising, which could lead to further increases in its valuation.
- Net Income Growth: In Q1 2026, Provident Financial reported net income of $79.4 million, or $0.61 per share, reflecting a 25.6% year-over-year increase despite a decline from $83.4 million in Q4 2025, indicating strong performance in loan and insurance income.
- Diverse Revenue Sources: The quarter's net interest income was $193.743 million, slightly down from the previous quarter due to fewer calendar days, yet insurance agency income surged 21.2% year-over-year to $6.9 million, showcasing significant progress in revenue diversification.
- Loan Portfolio Expansion: As of March 31, 2026, the company's commercial and industrial loan portfolio grew to $4.97 billion, with an annualized growth rate of 10.3%, reflecting strong demand in the lending market and an increase in market share.
- Improved Asset Quality: Although the non-performing loan ratio rose to 0.73%, the company effectively managed asset quality by recapturing $2.1 million in credit loss provisions, demonstrating strong collateral values that mitigate potential loss risks.
- Stable Dividend History: Provident Financial Services has maintained a dividend payment for over 10 years, with the most recent annual payment at $0.96 per share, demonstrating the company's reliability in dividend payouts and boosting investor confidence.
- Sustainable Dividend Yield: The current dividend yield stands at 4.3%, above the industry average, and with projected EPS growth of 24.2% over the next three years, the company is well-positioned to sustain its dividend payments without straining its financials.
- Strong Profitability: The latest earnings report shows a payout ratio of 49%, expected to decrease to 37% over the next three years, indicating that Provident Financial can better cover its dividends in the future, enhancing its appeal as an income investment.
- Dividend Growth Potential: With a 9.8% annual growth in EPS over the past five years, combined with stable dividend payments, Provident Financial Services presents a compelling opportunity for investors seeking consistent income, highlighting its long-term investment value.
- Increased Holdings: On January 15, 2026, Ledgewood Wealth Advisors disclosed an increase of 204,172 shares in the Invesco BulletShares 2027 Corporate Bond ETF, with an estimated transaction value of $4.03 million, reflecting confidence in the ETF's market outlook.
- Stake Proportion Rise: This purchase raised Ledgewood's stake in BSCR to 5.8% of its 13F AUM, indicating a strategic positioning in fixed-income investments, particularly amid expectations of declining interest rates.
- Fund Performance: As of January 15, 2026, BSCR shares were priced at $19.75, delivering a total return of 5.7% over the past year, although trailing the S&P 500 by 12.5 percentage points, suggesting a need for attention to the ETF's relative performance in the current market.
- Investment Strategy: The ETF targets investment-grade corporate bonds maturing in 2027, providing defined maturity exposure and predictable income, appealing to institutional and individual investors seeking high yields as interest rates are anticipated to decline.
- Stake Increase: On January 15, 2026, Ledgewood Wealth Advisors, LLC increased its stake in the Invesco BulletShares 2027 Corporate Bond ETF by 204,172 shares, with an estimated transaction value of $4.03 million based on the fourth quarter's average closing price, indicating a sustained interest in fixed-income investments.
- Quarter-End Value Growth: The fund's quarter-end position value rose by $4.04 million, reflecting both share purchases and bond ETF price movements, demonstrating strong market demand for investment-grade corporate bonds.
- Asset Allocation Adjustment: This transaction accounted for 2.3% of the fund's $173.6 million in reportable assets under management as of December 31, 2025, highlighting its strategic positioning in fixed income, particularly amid expectations of declining interest rates.
- Yield Attractiveness: High-quality investment-grade bonds yielding over 4% will become increasingly attractive if interest rates fall in 2026, potentially prompting a rotation of funds from stocks to bonds, thereby boosting demand for this ETF.

- Record Revenue: Provident Financial Services reported net earnings of $83 million or $0.64 per share for Q4 2025, achieving total revenue of $226 million, which underscores the company's strong performance in sustained growth and profitability.
- Loan and Deposit Growth: The company generated $3.2 billion in new commercial loans in 2025, resulting in a net growth rate of 5.5%, with period-end loans and deposits increasing by $218 million and $182 million respectively, indicating robust market demand and competitive positioning.
- Noninterest Income Boost: Noninterest income reached $28.3 million in Q4, primarily driven by Provident Protection Plus and Beacon Trust, which enhances the company's revenue diversity and profitability.
- Future Outlook: Management anticipates loan and deposit growth of 4% to 6% in 2026, alongside a core system conversion that will incur approximately $5 million in nonrecurring charges, reflecting the company's confidence in future growth and strategic investments.








