Hovde upgrades ServisFirst Bancshares to 'outperform'

ServisFirst Bancshares

19/12/2025 15:45

** Shares of regional lender ServisFirst Bancshares SFBS.N rise 2.75% to $75.02 in early trading

** Hovde Group upgrades SFBS to "outperform" from "market perform" citing its expansion into Texas is a catalyst for stronger loan growth, better long‑term profitability

** Brokerage adds SFBS's hiring of a senior commercial‑banking team in Houston positions it to capture growth amid merger‑driven disruption in the Texas market

** Hovde also raised PT to $89 from $85, a 21.9% upside from its last close

** SFBS's steep underperformance versus the regional‑bank index KRE.P leaves room for performance to normalize, brokerage says

** 2 of 3 analysts rate the stock "buy", 1 "hold"; median PT $89 - data compiled by LSEG

** As of last close, SFBS down 13.84% YTD vs KRE +11.81% YTD

 (Reporting by Pragyan Kalita in Bengaluru)

 ((Pragyan.Kalita@thomsonreuters.com))