Piper Sandler Downgrades SmartFinancial to Neutral, Raises Price Target to $28
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Jul 24 2024
0mins
Source: Benzinga
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Analyst Views on SMBK
Wall Street analysts forecast SMBK stock price to rise over the next 12 months. According to Wall Street analysts, the average 1-year price target for SMBK is 40.13 USD with a low forecast of 37.00 USD and a high forecast of 44.00 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.
4 Analyst Rating
1 Buy
3 Hold
0 Sell
Hold
Current: 39.100
Low
37.00
Averages
40.13
High
44.00
Current: 39.100
Low
37.00
Averages
40.13
High
44.00
About SMBK
SmartFinancial, Inc. is the bank holding company for SmartBank (the Bank). The Bank is a full-service commercial bank with branches across Tennessee, Alabama, and Florida. The principal business of the Bank consists of attracting deposits from the general public and investing those funds, together with funds generated from operations and from principal and interest payments on loans, primarily in commercial loans, commercial and residential real estate loans, leases, consumer loans and residential and commercial construction loans. It also originates one to four family residential mortgage loans and generally enters into a commitment to sell these loans in the secondary market. The Bank provides a suite of commercial and consumer banking services to clients through about 42 full-service bank branches. SBK Insurance, Inc., a subsidiary of the Bank, provides insurance products in the property and casualty area, commercial, transportation, and life and health to their respective clients.
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.
SmartFinancial (SMBK) Upgraded to Overweight with Price Target of $43.38
- Rating Upgrade: SmartFinancial's average rating has been upgraded to overweight, reflecting analysts' optimistic expectations for its future performance, which may attract more investor attention.
- Price Target Set: Analysts have set a price target of $43.38, indicating a positive outlook on the company's stock price growth potential, which could drive the stock closer to this target.
- Market Reaction: This rating upgrade may enhance market confidence in SmartFinancial, thereby increasing its stock liquidity and trading volume, which could strengthen the company's competitiveness in the financial services sector.
- Investor Strategy: With the rating upgrade, investors may reassess their portfolios and increase their holdings in SmartFinancial, aiming for capital appreciation in the future.
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SmartFinancial, Inc. (SMBK) Reports Record Q4 2025 Earnings of $0.81 per Share
- Significant Earnings Growth: SmartFinancial reported total operating revenue of $53.3 million in Q4 2025, a 44% year-over-year increase, with diluted earnings per share reaching $0.81, marking the seventh consecutive quarter of positive operating leverage and total annual earnings exceeding $51 million, reflecting strong profitability and market competitiveness.
- Loan and Deposit Growth: The company achieved a 13% annualized growth in loans and an 8% annualized growth in deposits, which not only strengthens the balance sheet but also lays the groundwork for future expansion, particularly as it prepares to enter the Columbus, Georgia market.
- Cost Control and Efficiency Improvement: Noninterest expenses remained flat at $32.5 million, with the efficiency ratio improving from 64% to 60%, demonstrating effective cost management, and the company anticipates maintaining high-single-digit loan growth in 2026, further enhancing profitability.
- Positive Future Outlook: Management set a target to achieve a $4 EPS run rate by the end of 2026, with projected net interest margins in the range of 3.4% to 3.45% for Q1 2026, indicating confidence in future growth and a prudent approach to capital allocation.
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