Peoples Bancorp (NASDAQ:PEBO) Issues Quarterly Earnings Results, Beats Estimates By $0.05 EPS

Peoples Bancorp (NASDAQ:PEBO) posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday. The bank reported $0.93 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.88 by $0.05, Zacks reports. The business had revenue of $119.57 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $117.97 million. Peoples Bancorp had a net margin of 17.27% and a return on equity of 9.61%.

Here are the key takeaways from Peoples Bancorp’s conference call:

• Reported diluted EPS of $0.89 (beat consensus of $0.88), with full-year loan growth of 6% and fee-based income up 6% year-over-year, showing core revenue momentum.
• Credit remains a headwind—Q4 provision for credit losses was $8.1M and annualized net charge-offs were 44 bps (driven largely by small-ticket leases contributing 31 bps), though management expects charge-offs to taper in the back half of 2026 after reducing high-balance lease exposure.
• Redeemed a tranche of subordinated debt (causing ~$0.02 EPS hit this quarter) but expects about $1M in annual funding cost savings and saw most regulatory capital ratios and tangible book value per share ($22.77) improve.
• 2026 guidance calls for NIM of 4.0%–4.2% (assuming one 25 bp Fed cut), quarterly fee-based income of $28M–$30M, loan growth of 3%–5%, and positive operating leverage—each outcome depends on timing of rate moves, payoffs and fee trends.
• Strategic priorities include continued investment in technology and talent, disciplined capital management (no plan to cross $10B organically), and selective M&A within its footprint, keeping optionality but emphasizing “strategic patience.”

Peoples Bancorp Stock Performance

Peoples Bancorp stock opened at $32.90 on Thursday. Peoples Bancorp has a 1-year low of $26.21 and a 1-year high of $33.83. The company has a current ratio of 0.83, a quick ratio of 0.83 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.17 billion, a PE ratio of 11.00 and a beta of 0.65. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $30.43 and its 200 day simple moving average is $30.08.

Peoples Bancorp Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, February 17th. Investors of record on Monday, February 2nd will be paid a dividend of $0.41 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, February 2nd. This represents a $1.64 annualized dividend and a yield of 5.0%. Peoples Bancorp’s payout ratio is currently 54.85%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Piper Sandler reduced their target price on shares of Peoples Bancorp from $36.00 to $33.50 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, October 22nd. DA Davidson set a $35.00 price objective on Peoples Bancorp in a report on Wednesday. Wall Street Zen upgraded Peoples Bancorp from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, October 25th. Finally, Weiss Ratings cut Peoples Bancorp from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research report on Monday, January 12th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $33.63.

Peoples Bancorp News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Peoples Bancorp this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 earnings and revenue beat expectations — Peoples reported roughly $0.89 in diluted EPS (net income $31.8M) and revenue of about $119.6M, topping consensus and signaling continued profitability. Investors generally reward banks that beat estimates. PR Newswire: Q4 and annual results
• Positive Sentiment: Quarterly dividend declared — the board approved $0.41 per share (ex‑div Feb 2, payable Feb 17), an annualized yield around 5.2%, which supports income investors and makes the stock more attractive to yield‑seeking buyers. PR Newswire: Dividend announcement
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst/commentary tailwinds — dividend-focused and income‑oriented writeups (Zacks, Seeking Alpha) are framing PEBO as an attractive income buy, likely drawing additional retail and income investors. Zacks: Peoples Bancorp could be a great choice
• Neutral Sentiment: Outlook details and loan mix adjustments — management discussed commercial loan growth and leasing adjustments on the call; these shape future margin and credit dynamics but are not clearly positive or negative yet. Investors should watch loan growth trends and asset quality commentary in the transcript. MSN: Q4 deep dive
• Negative Sentiment: Profitability metrics remain moderate — return on equity (~9.4%) and net margin (~16.6%) are solid but not standout versus some peers, which could limit multiple expansion unless earnings acceleration continues. MarketBeat: Q4 results and metrics

Insider Transactions at Peoples Bancorp

In other news, Director Kevin R. Reeves purchased 1,250 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, November 11th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $29.11 per share, with a total value of $36,387.50. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director owned 13,055 shares in the company, valued at $380,031.05. This trade represents a 10.59% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director W Glenn Hogan bought 1,000 shares of Peoples Bancorp stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 7th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $28.49 per share, with a total value of $28,490.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 535,239 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $15,248,959.11. This represents a 0.19% increase in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last quarter, insiders have bought 3,610 shares of company stock valued at $103,952. 3.41% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of PEBO. BNP Paribas Financial Markets raised its position in Peoples Bancorp by 181.4% during the third quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 12,034 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $361,000 after purchasing an additional 7,757 shares in the last quarter. Mariner LLC bought a new position in shares of Peoples Bancorp during the 3rd quarter valued at about $291,000. Jump Financial LLC purchased a new position in shares of Peoples Bancorp during the 2nd quarter valued at about $268,000. Walleye Capital LLC purchased a new position in shares of Peoples Bancorp during the 2nd quarter valued at about $249,000. Finally, Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV purchased a new stake in Peoples Bancorp in the third quarter worth approximately $214,000. 60.68% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

About Peoples Bancorp

Peoples Bancorp, Inc is a bank holding company headquartered in Marietta, Ohio. Through its subsidiary Peoples Bank, the company provides a comprehensive range of commercial and consumer banking services designed to serve individuals, businesses and institutional clients. Its deposit products include checking and savings accounts, money market accounts, certificates of deposit and digital banking platforms that enable secure online and mobile access.

On the lending side, Peoples Bancorp offers commercial and industrial loans, commercial real estate financing, construction and agricultural lending, as well as residential mortgage products.