Will First Bancorp's (FBNC) Risk Transition Shape Its Regulatory Advantage in the Years Ahead?

• First Bank recently announced that Bridget Welborn joined in October 2025 as Chief Risk Officer and Head of Legal, bringing more than 15 years of experience in legal, risk, privacy, and regulatory compliance, including prior leadership roles at State Employees' Credit Union.
• This executive hire comes as First Bank prepares for transitions in its risk leadership, with outgoing EVP Peter Seitz assisting during the changeover before his retirement in January 2026.
• We’ll explore how Welborn’s expertise in risk and regulatory compliance could impact First Bank’s overall investment narrative.

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What Is First Bancorp's Investment Narrative?

Owning First Bancorp stock ultimately comes down to having conviction in the bank’s ability to balance growth, risk management, and capital returns. With earnings and revenue rising in recent quarters, forecasts suggest the company may continue growing faster than the broader US market, albeit with short-term challenges like recent underperformance relative to both peers and industry averages. The recent appointment of Bridget Welborn as Chief Risk Officer and Head of Legal is timely, as her experience could help address regulatory compliance and strengthen risk oversight at a moment when questions around asset quality and profitability linger. However, the bank has not yet acted on its authorized buyback program in recent quarters, which could moderate some shorter-term investor excitement. Welborn’s arrival may ease some risk concerns, but the immediate catalysts remain more closely linked to core earnings progression rather than management changes alone.

On the other hand, persistent low return on equity compared to peers is a key factor to watch. Despite retreating, First Bancorp's shares might still be trading 42% above their fair value. Discover the potential downside here.

Exploring Other Perspectives

Three different fair value views from the Simply Wall St Community span US$54.46 to US$85.07 per share, reflecting a very wide spread of investor opinions. While some see significant upside, this contrasts with ongoing questions about First Bancorp’s relatively high valuation and lagging returns. Consider these diverse takes as you weigh all factors.

Explore 3 other fair value estimates on First Bancorp - why the stock might be worth as much as 74% more than the current price!

Build Your Own First Bancorp Narrative

Disagree with this assessment? Create your own narrative in under 3 minutes - extraordinary investment returns rarely come from following the herd.

• A great starting point for your First Bancorp research is our analysis highlighting 3 key rewards that could impact your investment decision.
• Our free First Bancorp research report provides a comprehensive fundamental analysis summarized in a single visual - the Snowflake - making it easy to evaluate First Bancorp's overall financial health at a glance.

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This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

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