What Peoples Bancorp (PEBO)'s Insider Buying and Outperforming Core EPS Mean for Shareholders

• Peoples Bancorp recently saw Director Smith Dwight Eric purchase 200 shares of its common stock, and DA Davidson initiated coverage with a positive analyst rating, highlighting that core earnings per share outperformed forecasts for the quarter.
• Insider buying activity, paired with favorable analyst commentary, is drawing increased attention to the company’s performance and outlook following its third quarter earnings report, where earnings per share met expectations despite a slight revenue miss.
• We’ll explore how recent insider stock purchases could influence Peoples Bancorp’s overall investment narrative and analyst sentiment going forward.

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Peoples Bancorp Investment Narrative Recap

To be a shareholder in Peoples Bancorp, you likely want to believe in the resiliency of community-focused banking, ongoing demand for loans in regional markets, and the company's ability to manage credit quality risks even as economic headwinds persist. While recent insider buying and analyst coverage have provided a boost to sentiment, these developments do not materially alter the biggest near-term catalyst, potential stabilization of credit costs, or the key risk of ongoing asset quality pressure from elevated charge-offs in the small-ticket leasing portfolio.

Among the recent announcements, the third quarter earnings report stands out for its relevance. Peoples Bancorp reported stable earnings per share, even as revenues slightly missed analyst projections and net charge-offs increased again. Results like these underscore the importance of how management handles credit challenges, especially as loan portfolios in secondary and tertiary Midwest markets may continue to face pressure if broader economic conditions soften.

But it's worth contrasting this with the risk that persistently elevated charge-offs, especially within the leasing portfolio, could limit profitability even as...

Read the full narrative on Peoples Bancorp (it's free!)

Peoples Bancorp's outlook projects $393.5 million in revenue and $134.1 million in earnings by 2028. This forecast assumes a yearly revenue decline of 10.8% and a $30.9 million increase in earnings from the current $103.2 million.

Uncover how Peoples Bancorp's forecasts yield a $34.17 fair value, a 15% upside to its current price.

Exploring Other Perspectives

Five members of the Simply Wall St Community set fair value estimates for Peoples Bancorp ranging from US$24 to US$54.12 per share. With such differing views, it is important to consider ongoing credit quality risk and how it could affect future performance before forming your own outlook.

Explore 5 other fair value estimates on Peoples Bancorp - why the stock might be worth as much as 82% more than the current price!

Build Your Own Peoples Bancorp Narrative

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

• A great starting point for your Peoples Bancorp research is our analysis highlighting 4 key rewards that could impact your investment decision.
• Our free Peoples Bancorp research report provides a comprehensive fundamental analysis summarized in a single visual - the Snowflake - making it easy to evaluate Peoples 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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