Should You Buy Peoples Bancorp Inc (PEBO) Today? Analysis, Price Targets, and 2026 Outlook.
Conclusion
Hold
Latest Price
31.960
1 Day change
1.59%
52 Week Range
33.830
Analysis Updated At
2026/01/26
Peoples Bancorp Inc (PEBO) is not a strong buy for a beginner, long-term investor at this moment. While the company shows stable financial performance and consistent dividends, the lack of significant growth catalysts, neutral insider and hedge fund activity, and a recent analyst downgrade suggest limited upside potential in the near term. Additionally, technical indicators and options data do not strongly support a buy decision currently.
Technical Analysis
The MACD is positive but contracting, RSI is neutral at 48.092, and moving averages are bullish (SMA_5 > SMA_20 > SMA_200). However, the stock has recently declined by 3.65% in the regular market, with a slight recovery of 2.07% post-market. Key support and resistance levels suggest limited short-term price movement.
Options Data
Bearish
Open Interest Put-Call Ratio
Bullish
Option Volume Put-Call Ratio
The open interest put-call ratio of 1.2 indicates a slightly bearish sentiment, while the option volume put-call ratio of 0.25 suggests minimal bearish activity in recent trading.
Technical Summary
Sell
1
Buy
11
Positive Catalysts
The company reported strong financials for Q4 2025, with a 17.11% YoY increase in EPS and an 18.09% YoY increase in net income. It also declared a consistent quarterly dividend of $0.41 per share, reflecting stability.
Neutral/Negative Catalysts
Stephens downgraded the stock to Equal Weight, citing limited near-term growth catalysts. Additionally, the stock's recent price decline and neutral insider and hedge fund activity suggest a lack of strong buying interest.
Financial Performance
In Q4 2025, revenue increased by 4.94% YoY to $106.44 million, net income rose by 18.09% YoY to $31.75 million, and EPS grew by 17.11% YoY to $0.89. These figures indicate stable profitability and growth.
Growth
Profitability
Efficiency
Analyst Ratings and Price Target Trends
Stephens downgraded the stock to Equal Weight from Overweight, maintaining a price target of $50. The firm highlighted limited near-term catalysts and expects more robust profitability improvement only by 2027.
Wall Street analysts forecast PEBO stock price to rise over the next 12 months. According to Wall Street analysts, the average 1-year price target for PEBO is 33.17 USD with a low forecast of 33 USD and a high forecast of 33.5 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.
3 Analyst Rating
Wall Street analysts forecast PEBO stock price to rise over the next 12 months. According to Wall Street analysts, the average 1-year price target for PEBO is 33.17 USD with a low forecast of 33 USD and a high forecast of 33.5 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.
2 Buy
1 Hold
0 Sell
Moderate Buy
Current: 31.460
Low
33
Averages
33.17
High
33.5
Current: 31.460
Low
33
Averages
33.17
High
33.5
Stephens
Overweight -> Equal Weight
downgrade
$50
AI Analysis
2025-12-08
Reason
Stephens
Price Target
$50
AI Analysis
2025-12-08
downgrade
Overweight -> Equal Weight
Reason
Stephens downgraded Peoples Financial to Equal Weight from Overweight with an unchanged price target of $50. The firm believes shares now reflect the firm's fair value estimate and beyond an expected return to mid-single-digit loan growth, it struggles to see a near-term catalyst as further net interest margin expansion and more robust profitability improvement is not anticipated until 2027, the analyst tells investors.
DA Davidson
Buy
downgrade
$35 -> $33
2025-10-22
Reason
DA Davidson
Price Target
$35 -> $33
2025-10-22
downgrade
Buy
Reason
DA Davidson assumed coverage of Peoples Bancorp with a Buy rating and price target of $33, down from $35. The firm upped the bank's 2026 estimates post the Q3 report to reflect improved operating leverage despite slower net loan growth assumptions. It is "encouraged" by Peoples Bancorp's lower trending charge-offs.
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