5 Stocks Offering Strong Shareholder Returns to Protect Your Portfolio
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Aug 18 2025
0mins
Should l Buy COLB?
Source: NASDAQ.COM
Shareholder Yield Importance: Shareholder yield, which combines dividend yield, share buybacks, and net debt reduction, is a crucial metric for long-term investors seeking sustainable returns and risk management.
Investment Strategy: Focusing on companies with high shareholder yields can provide steady income and enhance portfolio returns, especially during economic downturns or low-growth environments.
Highlighted Companies: Notable firms like Eni, BanColombia, Columbia Banking System, Donaldson, and W.P. Carey are recognized for their strong shareholder yields, disciplined capital allocation, and effective debt management.
Market Performance: Empirical studies suggest that portfolios centered around shareholder yield outperform broader market indices over time, offering both income and growth potential for various investment goals.
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Analyst Views on COLB
Wall Street analysts forecast COLB stock price to fall over the next 12 months. According to Wall Street analysts, the average 1-year price target for COLB is 31.28 USD with a low forecast of 28.00 USD and a high forecast of 34.50 USD. However, analyst price targets are subjective and often lag stock prices, so investors should focus on the objective reasons behind analyst rating changes, which better reflect the company's fundamentals.
9 Analyst Rating
3 Buy
6 Hold
0 Sell
Moderate Buy
Current: 31.630
Low
28.00
Averages
31.28
High
34.50
Current: 31.630
Low
28.00
Averages
31.28
High
34.50
About COLB
Columbia Banking System, Inc. is the parent company of Columbia Bank (the Bank), a Western United States regional bank. The Bank supports consumers and businesses through a full suite of services, including retail and commercial banking, Small Business Administration (SBA) lending, institutional and corporate banking, and equipment leasing. The Bank’s customers also have access to comprehensive investment and wealth management expertise as well as healthcare and private banking through Columbia Wealth Management. The Bank offers specialized loans for corporate, middle market, and small business customers, including commercial lines of credit and term loans, accounts receivable and inventory financing, international trade finance, multifamily loans, equipment loans, commercial equipment leases, SBA program financing, and capital markets. The Bank operates at more than 350 locations across eight Western states: Washington, Oregon, California, Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, Utah and Idaho.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
HoldCo Asset Management Unveils New Presentation at UBS Conference
- Asset Management Scale: HoldCo Asset Management manages approximately $2.8 billion in regulatory assets, showcasing its strength and influence in the financial services sector, indicating its significant position within the industry.
- Activist Shareholder Campaigns: The firm has launched five public activist campaigns targeting banks such as KeyCorp and Comerica, demonstrating its proactive role in driving corporate governance and management changes, which is expected to impact upcoming shareholder meetings.
- Soft Activism Engagements: Additionally, HoldCo has engaged in behind-the-scenes 'soft activism' dialogues with four banks, reflecting its diversified strategy to promote industry change through constructive discussions aimed at achieving substantive improvements.
- Management Changes: Co-founders of HoldCo noted that over the past six months, management teams and boards have made significant changes due to their initiatives, indicating the effectiveness of their shareholder activism and potentially reducing the need for future proxy contests, thereby enhancing investor confidence.
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RBC Capital Raises Columbia Banking (COLB) Price Target to $32 After Q4 Earnings Beat
- Price Target Adjustment: RBC Capital raised Columbia Banking's price target from $30 to $32, reflecting positive signals from the company's Q4 earnings beat, indicating market confidence in its future performance.
- Acquisition Impact: Although the Pacific Premier acquisition, completed on August 31, affected performance comparisons, the analyst noted solid core trends with strong asset mix, margin strength, and tight expense control, indicating robust fundamentals.
- Management Signals: Management is signaling a slightly smaller balance sheet to start the year and a lower margin, but expects growth after Q1, demonstrating optimism about future developments.
- Market Performance: The analyst maintains a Sector Perform rating on Columbia Banking, suggesting that despite challenges, there is still a favorable outlook for its market performance and potential growth.
See More
Columbia Bank (COLB) Earnings Call Transcript
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Columbia Banking System (COLB) Completes Pacific Premier Acquisition, Net Interest Margin Rises to 4.06%
- Acquisition Completed: Columbia Banking System successfully completed its acquisition of Pacific Premier Bank, enhancing its market position in the Northwest and securing a top ten deposit market share in Southern California, thereby solidifying its leadership as a regional bank.
- Strong Financial Performance: The fourth quarter operating pre-provision net revenue (PPNR) increased by 27% quarter-over-quarter, reflecting successful integration and balance sheet optimization, with expectations for this trend to continue into 2026.
- Significant Cost Savings: The company achieved $63 million in annualized deal-related cost savings, about 50% of the targeted amount, with additional savings anticipated in the first half of 2026, further enhancing profitability.
- Shareholder Return Plan: Share repurchase activity is expected to increase to a range of $150 million to $200 million per quarter in 2026, demonstrating the company's strong commitment to enhancing shareholder returns while maintaining robust credit metrics and a strategic focus on balance sheet optimization.
See More
Columbia Banking System (COLB) Reports Q4 Earnings Beat with $627M Net Interest Income
- Earnings Beat: Columbia Banking System reported Q4 operating EPS of $0.82, surpassing the $0.72 analyst estimate, although it decreased from $0.85 in the prior quarter, reflecting ongoing improvement in profitability compared to $0.71 a year ago.
- Significant Revenue Growth: Q4 operating revenue reached $715 million, exceeding the $693.5 million consensus, and showing substantial increases from $577 million in Q3 and $493 million in Q4 2024, highlighting the positive impact of the Pacific Premier Bancorp acquisition.
- Net Interest Income Increase: Net interest income rose to $627 million from $505 million in Q3, driven by two months of combined operations and favorable funding mix trends, demonstrating the company's adaptability in the current interest rate environment.
- Decline in Credit Loss Provisions: Provisions for credit losses fell to $23 million from $70 million in the previous quarter and $28 million a year ago, indicating improved asset quality and effective risk management practices within the company.
See More
Columbia Banking System (COLB) Q4 Earnings Beat Expectations with 44.2% Revenue Growth
- Earnings Beat: Columbia Banking System reported a Q4 GAAP EPS of $0.72, exceeding expectations by $0.06, indicating a sustained improvement in profitability that is likely to positively impact stock performance.
- Significant Revenue Growth: The company achieved Q4 revenue of $717 million, reflecting a 44.2% year-over-year increase and surpassing market expectations by $23.54 million, showcasing strong market performance and heightened customer demand.
- Dividend Increase: Columbia Banking raised its quarterly dividend by 3% to $0.37 per share, demonstrating confidence in future cash flows and potentially attracting more investor interest while enhancing shareholder returns.
- Market Outlook Analysis: Despite strong performance, analysts have downgraded Columbia Banking's rating, suggesting a likely pause in growth in the near term, which may affect investor confidence and stock price performance.
See More
HoldCo Asset Management Unveils New Presentation at UBS Conference
- Asset Management Scale: HoldCo Asset Management manages approximately $2.8 billion in regulatory assets, showcasing its strength and influence in the financial services sector, indicating its significant position within the industry.
- Activist Shareholder Campaigns: The firm has launched five public activist campaigns targeting banks such as KeyCorp and Comerica, demonstrating its proactive role in driving corporate governance and management changes, which is expected to impact upcoming shareholder meetings.
- Soft Activism Engagements: Additionally, HoldCo has engaged in behind-the-scenes 'soft activism' dialogues with four banks, reflecting its diversified strategy to promote industry change through constructive discussions aimed at achieving substantive improvements.
- Management Changes: Co-founders of HoldCo noted that over the past six months, management teams and boards have made significant changes due to their initiatives, indicating the effectiveness of their shareholder activism and potentially reducing the need for future proxy contests, thereby enhancing investor confidence.
See More
RBC Capital Raises Columbia Banking (COLB) Price Target to $32 After Q4 Earnings Beat
- Price Target Adjustment: RBC Capital raised Columbia Banking's price target from $30 to $32, reflecting positive signals from the company's Q4 earnings beat, indicating market confidence in its future performance.
- Acquisition Impact: Although the Pacific Premier acquisition, completed on August 31, affected performance comparisons, the analyst noted solid core trends with strong asset mix, margin strength, and tight expense control, indicating robust fundamentals.
- Management Signals: Management is signaling a slightly smaller balance sheet to start the year and a lower margin, but expects growth after Q1, demonstrating optimism about future developments.
- Market Performance: The analyst maintains a Sector Perform rating on Columbia Banking, suggesting that despite challenges, there is still a favorable outlook for its market performance and potential growth.
See More
Columbia Bank (COLB) Earnings Call Transcript
See More
Columbia Banking System (COLB) Completes Pacific Premier Acquisition, Net Interest Margin Rises to 4.06%
- Acquisition Completed: Columbia Banking System successfully completed its acquisition of Pacific Premier Bank, enhancing its market position in the Northwest and securing a top ten deposit market share in Southern California, thereby solidifying its leadership as a regional bank.
- Strong Financial Performance: The fourth quarter operating pre-provision net revenue (PPNR) increased by 27% quarter-over-quarter, reflecting successful integration and balance sheet optimization, with expectations for this trend to continue into 2026.
- Significant Cost Savings: The company achieved $63 million in annualized deal-related cost savings, about 50% of the targeted amount, with additional savings anticipated in the first half of 2026, further enhancing profitability.
- Shareholder Return Plan: Share repurchase activity is expected to increase to a range of $150 million to $200 million per quarter in 2026, demonstrating the company's strong commitment to enhancing shareholder returns while maintaining robust credit metrics and a strategic focus on balance sheet optimization.
See More
Columbia Banking System (COLB) Reports Q4 Earnings Beat with $627M Net Interest Income
- Earnings Beat: Columbia Banking System reported Q4 operating EPS of $0.82, surpassing the $0.72 analyst estimate, although it decreased from $0.85 in the prior quarter, reflecting ongoing improvement in profitability compared to $0.71 a year ago.
- Significant Revenue Growth: Q4 operating revenue reached $715 million, exceeding the $693.5 million consensus, and showing substantial increases from $577 million in Q3 and $493 million in Q4 2024, highlighting the positive impact of the Pacific Premier Bancorp acquisition.
- Net Interest Income Increase: Net interest income rose to $627 million from $505 million in Q3, driven by two months of combined operations and favorable funding mix trends, demonstrating the company's adaptability in the current interest rate environment.
- Decline in Credit Loss Provisions: Provisions for credit losses fell to $23 million from $70 million in the previous quarter and $28 million a year ago, indicating improved asset quality and effective risk management practices within the company.
See More
Columbia Banking System (COLB) Q4 Earnings Beat Expectations with 44.2% Revenue Growth
- Earnings Beat: Columbia Banking System reported a Q4 GAAP EPS of $0.72, exceeding expectations by $0.06, indicating a sustained improvement in profitability that is likely to positively impact stock performance.
- Significant Revenue Growth: The company achieved Q4 revenue of $717 million, reflecting a 44.2% year-over-year increase and surpassing market expectations by $23.54 million, showcasing strong market performance and heightened customer demand.
- Dividend Increase: Columbia Banking raised its quarterly dividend by 3% to $0.37 per share, demonstrating confidence in future cash flows and potentially attracting more investor interest while enhancing shareholder returns.
- Market Outlook Analysis: Despite strong performance, analysts have downgraded Columbia Banking's rating, suggesting a likely pause in growth in the near term, which may affect investor confidence and stock price performance.
See More
