ServisFirst Bancshares (NYSE:SFBS) Shares Gap Up Following Earnings Beat

21 Jan 2026, 10:56 by Jessica Moore · The Cerbat Gem

ServisFirst Bancshares, Inc. (NYSE:SFBS – Get Free Report) shares gapped up before the market opened on Wednesday following a better than expected earnings announcement. The stock had previously closed at $76.33, but opened at $82.21. ServisFirst Bancshares shares last traded at $86.43, with a volume of 177,762 shares traded.

The financial services provider reported $1.58 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.38 by $0.20. ServisFirst Bancshares had a return on equity of 15.67% and a net margin of 25.24%.The business had revenue of $162.21 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $151.82 million.

ServisFirst Bancshares Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, January 13th. Shareholders of record on Friday, January 2nd were paid a $0.38 dividend. This is a boost from ServisFirst Bancshares’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.34. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, January 2nd. This represents a $1.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.8%. ServisFirst Bancshares’s dividend payout ratio is 32.55%.

More ServisFirst Bancshares News

Here are the key news stories impacting ServisFirst Bancshares this week:

Positive Sentiment: Q4 results beat expectations — diluted EPS of $1.58 vs. consensus $1.38 and revenue of $162.2M vs. $151.8M; management highlighted a 3.38% net interest margin (up 42 bps Y/Y), improved efficiency (~29%) and meaningful loan/deposit growth. These operational beats are the primary driver of the rally. GlobeNewswire Press Release
Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrade — Raymond James moved SFBS to a “strong‑buy” with a $95 price target (noting ~24% upside from the ~$76 level referenced in the note), giving investors a fresh bullish catalyst and influencing buy-side flows. Benzinga
Positive Sentiment: Capital, liquidity and shareholder returns — CET1 improved modestly, cash & equivalents remain strong (~$1.63B), and the board raised the cash dividend by 13% (to $0.38), supporting investor confidence in earnings durability and capital management. Quiver Quant Summary
Neutral Sentiment: Earnings call / analyst coverage — Management hosted an earnings call (transcript available) and coverage includes mixed/average brokerage recommendations overall, so follow-up remarks and guidance will shape next moves. Earnings Call Transcript
Neutral Sentiment: Market reaction context — some outlets note the company’s strong quarterly momentum but broker consensus remains mixed; the Raymond James upgrade is one influential outlier. MarketBeat Coverage
Negative Sentiment: Credit quality deterioration — nonperforming assets rose to ~0.97% of assets (from 0.26% Y/Y) driven by a large real-estate secured relationship; there were $5.0M of charge-offs and an $8.1M provision in the quarter. This increase in asset stress is a watch item that could limit multiples if it persists. Quiver Quant Summary (credit details)
Negative Sentiment: Higher tax expense & one‑offs — income tax expense rose significantly Y/Y (noted in the release), and management disclosed some non‑GAAP adjustments; these items can compress reported net income and complicate comparisons. GlobeNewswire (financial detail)
Negative Sentiment: Insider selling noted — recent filings show a material insider sale (CEO), which some investors may view as a mild negative signal; interpret alongside strong fundamentals and other insider activity. Quiver (insider activity)

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

SFBS has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Piper Sandler raised shares of ServisFirst Bancshares from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating and set a $89.00 price objective for the company in a report on Wednesday. Hovde Group raised shares of ServisFirst Bancshares from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $89.00 price target for the company in a research note on Friday, December 19th. Raymond James Financial upgraded shares of ServisFirst Bancshares from an “outperform” rating to a “strong-buy” rating and set a $95.00 price target for the company in a report on Wednesday. Zacks Research upgraded ServisFirst Bancshares from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, December 19th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of ServisFirst Bancshares in a research report on Monday, December 29th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have assigned a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $91.00.

Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on ServisFirst Bancshares

Hedge Funds Weigh In On ServisFirst Bancshares

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. HB Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in ServisFirst Bancshares during the 3rd quarter worth about $1,541,000. KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS raised its position in shares of ServisFirst Bancshares by 6.8% during the 2nd quarter. KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS now owns 11,000 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $853,000 after acquiring an additional 700 shares in the last quarter. Mutual of America Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in ServisFirst Bancshares by 0.3% during the second quarter. Mutual of America Capital Management LLC now owns 153,323 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $11,884,000 after purchasing an additional 429 shares during the last quarter. Index Fund Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in ServisFirst Bancshares in the second quarter valued at approximately $892,000. Finally, Deprince Race & Zollo Inc. increased its stake in ServisFirst Bancshares by 10.5% in the third quarter. Deprince Race & Zollo Inc. now owns 514,203 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $41,409,000 after purchasing an additional 48,993 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 67.31% of the company’s stock.

ServisFirst Bancshares Trading Up 13.3%

The company has a quick ratio of 0.96, a current ratio of 0.96 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.04. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $73.08 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $77.75. The company has a market cap of $4.73 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.52 and a beta of 0.93.

ServisFirst Bancshares Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

ServisFirst Bancshares, Inc is a bank holding company headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama, and the parent of ServisFirst Bank. The company specializes in commercial banking services, catering primarily to small and mid-sized businesses, professionals and entrepreneurs. Its product portfolio encompasses commercial real estate lending, commercial and industrial loans, deposit accounts, treasury management and other ancillary banking products designed to meet the financial needs of its clients.

ServisFirst Bank offers a full suite of deposit products, including interest-bearing checking, money market accounts and certificates of deposit, as well as a variety of loan products.