All You Need to Know About Southern First (SFST) Rating Upgrade to Strong Buy
Zacks Rank Upgrade: Southern First (SFST) has been upgraded to a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) due to an upward trend in earnings estimates, indicating a positive outlook for its stock price.
Earnings Estimate Revisions: The Zacks rating system highlights the correlation between earnings estimate revisions and stock movements, with SFST's estimates increasing by 14% over the past three months, suggesting potential for higher stock performance.
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Southern First Bancshares Reports Q4 2025 Net Income of $9.9 Million
- Net Income Growth: Southern First Bancshares reported a net income of $9.9 million for Q4 2025, reflecting a $1.2 million increase from Q3 2025, demonstrating strong momentum in loan and deposit growth that solidifies its competitive position in the Southeast market.
- Interest Income Increase: The net interest income for Q4 reached $28.7 million, up $1.2 million from Q3, primarily driven by increased loan interest income and decreased deposit interest expenses, showcasing effective interest rate management strategies.
- Stable Asset Quality: As of December 31, 2025, nonperforming assets represented 0.32% of total assets, up from 0.27% in Q3, yet still indicating robust asset quality management, which enhances investor confidence.
- Improved Capital Ratios: The total risk-based capital ratio stood at 12.89%, a 10 basis point increase from the previous quarter, indicating ongoing improvements in capital management that provide a stronger financial foundation for future business expansion.
Daily Upgrade Report for Validea Martin Zweig Strategy - December 16, 2025
Validea's Growth Investor Model: Today's upgrades for Validea's Growth Investor model, based on Martin Zweig's strategy, highlight several stocks with improved ratings, indicating strong interest due to their accelerating earnings, sales growth, and reasonable valuations.
Hingham Institution for Savings (HIFS): This small-cap value stock in the Regional Banks industry saw its rating increase from 46% to 85%, reflecting strong fundamentals and valuation metrics.
Bank of Hawaii Corp (BOH): A mid-cap growth stock in the Money Center Banks industry, BOH's rating also improved from 46% to 85%, suggesting favorable underlying fundamentals and valuation.
Muncy Columbia Financial Corp (CCFN): Another small-cap value stock, CCFN's rating rose from 46% to 89%, indicating strong interest based on its financial performance and valuation criteria.
